Sapphire Night Eye ver2
by Risemonger
Summary: She is the shadow on the wall, but a beacon of hope. A mistress of the night and a hero of the day. Join Ty'ani as she is transformed from Riften's most feared thief to Skyrim's greatest hero. Khajiit protagonist. Rated M.
1. Prologue

Cyrodiil. The Imperial Province of Tamriel, the seat of the Empire and the home of the Imperial race. In the centre of the province, the White-Gold Tower stood tall, looming high into the sky like a stairway to the heavens. It was here, in the fourth era of the 182nd year, where the Emperor with his Elder-Council ruled the land in the aftermath of the Great War.

In the wealthy city's centre, a middle aged man wearing the robes of the Moth Priests walked to the grand entrance with purpose and haste in his steps. After all, it was unwise to ignore an Emperor's summons.

This man, Dexion Evicus, knew why it was he was summoned due to the letter he still held in hand. Emperor Titus Mede II had been restless as of late. Not only because of the people's continuous hate of him surrendering to the Aldmeri Dominion eleven years ago, or the Elves themselves breathing down his neck, but about the civil unrest that existed throughout the entire land. However, Evicus had a hunch that it was more than that. After all, the only time a Moth Priest is specifically called to the Emperor's throne room was when a reading is required.

But not just any reading. The Emperor wanted him to read an Elder Scroll.

Not much was known about the Scrolls, even among the Moth Priests who are renown experts on them. All that's known is that the Scrolls are artefacts of completely unknown origin, that exist within and out of time. They are archives of the past, present and future, containing prophecies that- for the most part- end up being true. However each reader may receive different information, which many believe is through acts of magical or abnormal forces. But due to the power of the Scrolls, if the reader does not have a rigorously trained mind, the artefacts will most definitely take the readers sight in exchange for their knowledge. In most cases, the reader may receive other side-effects; insanity being the most common.

Thankfully, Evicus had spent numerous years training his mind to withstand the Scrolls immense power. He had read many Scrolls in his time and not once had his sight been taken, but he knew that even with his training, he could still lose his sight at any moment and each reading increased that risk.

Either way, he couldn't disobey an Emperor's orders despite of any danger he may be in. With that in mind, he passed the guards flanking the main doors before disappearing through them.

He climbed the mountainous stairs until finally reaching the Emperor's throne room. Titus Mede himself sat upon the impressive throne, his ageing body garbed in the most finest robes that Evicus was sure cost as much as what he owned altogether.

Flanking the great leader's sides were Imperial captains, Penitus Oculatus guards, representatives of the Elder Council and their guards and other Moth Priests. In short, you couldn't swing a dead cat around without it hitting someone important.

As he approached, Mede stood from his throne. Greetings were brief, as they always were, before the business at hand got under way. The usual speeches and such before he was given an Elder Scroll by one of the acolytes and asked to begin reading.

Mentally preparing himself, Evicus tightly gripped the Scroll in one hand, lofting it just above his head before he pulled the parchment from it's home.

Two things happened at once. He saw the text upon the paper brighten and blur into one, becoming comprehensible to him while to others he would be merely staring at illiterate text. In his minds eye, all his senses, memories and thoughts were pushed to one side as the Scroll filled his head with it's knowledge.

Immediately, he was beset with images. The first that faded into existence was a land of snow, the area turned red with the blood of soldiers. Men and women baring the armour of the Legion and blue garbed cuirass' of an army he had no knowledge of. Evicus quickly surmised that he was seeing a civil war. Man turning against man. The reasoning was unknown, but before he could analyse it, the scene changed.

This image showed fire. A place he could not identify was covered with burning bodies of innocents and soldiers, buildings crumbled or damaged beyond repair. Fire fell from the sky itself before an ungodly noise broke the silence. It sounded like the roar of Oblivion, a creature not of this world. It didn't take long before the cause showed itself, though it was swathed in shadow. From what Evicus could distinguish, the beast was massive, winged and terrifying. The only clear feature of it was a pair of glowing red evil eyes, filled with an endless hunger.

A moment later, it showed the same land. Snow melted, fires burning, the sky red with flame and alive with the roars of many winged creatures.

However, the scene soon began to melt away with a ray of light. A beacon of hope. Silhouetted against the light was a form. From first glance, he quickly figured that this person was no man. It wasn't even human.

As the light became brighter, the woman pulled a bow from her back, opening her eyes. Evicus was immediately hit with a pair of bright sapphire eyes that seemed to be burning, telling of a hidden power behind the depths.

Before darkness took him, one word was spoken. One that brought both hope and fear to his consciousness.

 _DOVAHKIIN  
_

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

 _All righty then,_

 _Yeah, I know this is really short, but most people make their prologues short and to the point. Besides, I wanted to get straight to the action. Again, I'm sorry if those who were reading the last one was really enjoying it, but I felt it needed a major upgrade._

 _ **Edit:** So, I've recently read my earlier chapters and have decided that they seem to pale a little in comparison to my later ones. Plus, there are some details in early chapters that I hadn't figured out until later, so there was a need to update that._

 _Also, the beginning kinda sucked anyway in my opinion and I want it to be as realistic and as close to the canon as I can possibly get it._


	2. Before the Storm

**4E 201  
14th of Sun's Dusk**

The weather in Skyrim was at it's harshest now that the last arrays of autumn began to give way to winter. Snow fell heavily, especially in the far north, and the winds chilled even the brawniest of men. Roaming the land was a number of creatures: wolves, bears, giants, sabre cats and trolls just to name a few, and all of them as dangerous as the freezing winds. While the cities that dotted the land were walled and safe, the plains were wild and untamed, but was still distinctively beautiful.

The majestic snow-capped mountain peaks look over the entirety of the land, visible even in the greatest of distances. The most noticeable was the Throat of the World, the tallest mountain in the province whose peak seemed to touch the very sky. However, the whole of Skyrim wasn't covered entirely with snow. Whiterun's rolling plains and rippling streams ran throughout the land, and the rocky cliffs and crevices of the Reach in Skyrim's west are also a sight to behold. Temperate forests lined Falkreath in Skyrim's southern border, where green pines grew tall with small specks of white frost occasionally hanging onto their branches. Deer frolic and graze the grass, while birds perch on the trees and chirp.

This was more evident in Skyrim's south-eastern corner, the Rift. Colour could be seen as far as the eye could see as the trees finished shedding their leaves in preparation for the wintry season, giving it a more delicate look which contrasted against the rest of Skyrim. The border was also rimmed with mountain peaks, seemingly separating it from the rest of the land.

In the far south-east, the Rift's main city, Riften, glowed under the soft golden light of the morning sun. Early risers walked the street- which was littered with coloured leaves- shopping around the marketplace or wondering aimlessly. Guards stood at their posts, eyes glaring around the area on the look out for trouble. Chanting could also be heard in the town's resident temple of Mara, the morning prayers to the Goddess of Love already under way.

All in all, Riften seemed peaceful on the surface. But like everything else, the beauty and peace hid the ugliness. The city did have a dark secret after all, down in the lower reaches of the under-city. The sewer system known as the Ratway, home of a tavern called the Ragged Flagon, and Riften's Thieves Guild.

Despite the tavern residing in the wetness of the Ratway, the Ragged Flagon was quite busy. Four merchants worked at their stalls on the outskirts, while patrons to the guild gathered in the tavern's break room. One such person being the Guild's gatherer of contacts, in the form of Delvin Mallory. The bold Breton thief sat at his usual table, garbed in his black leathers drinking a tankard of Black-Briar mead. He seemed to be lost in thought as he picked his way through numerous letters upon the table.

Ever since Mercer had betrayed them and the Guild flourished due to the combined efforts of all the members, it seemed now there was an endless stream of paperwork. Delvin wasn't complaining, but having to sift through all this was still quite a pain. He groaned as he straightened up, his back spiked out in protest of his actions as he had been sat still for so long.

Maybe he should get Vex to help him. No scratch that, Brynjolf might be a better idea, or Tonilia. The Imperial woman would be more inclined to gut him than help. He sighed then. Maybe he should start teaching some of the more uneducated members to read and sort their inventory when he has time, then others would be able to help him.

It was at that point that, in spite of the tavern sporting numerous new patrons, it was the movement in the corner of his eye that caught his attention. Turning to the disturbance, he barely had time to react before Dirge slapped his hand down on his shoulder. The muscled Nord bouncer garbed in leather made him splutter in surprise at that motion.

"Just thought t' let ya know, Delvin," the Nord rumbled in amusement at the Breton's bulging eyes, as he tried to shake off the friendly 'tap' he gave him. "You got a visitor." he jerked his thumb behind himself. Following where Dirge gestured to while rubbing his sore shoulder, Delvin immediately spotted the person in question, as a male Agonian helped himself to the vacated chair opposite him.

Delvin immediately recognised the smirking black and red scaled face before him. His mismatched eyes locked onto his, with three thick scars running through his left eye, giving it the milky white colour of blindness while the other was bright gold. He was the picture of intimidation due to both the wicked looking long swords at both hip, but also his black and red leather armour. The armour of the Dark Brotherhood. But, Delvin knew this man very well and wasn't at all intimidated by him in the slightest.

"Good to see you again Delvin." the Argonian said pleasantly in a deep baritone voice.

Smiling back, Delvin replied. "'ello again, Okan-Ru. What can ole Delvin do for you today?"

Leaning back in his chair, Okan-Ru folded his hands on his stomach and rested his right ankle on his left thigh in a nonchalant way. "Oh what? Can I not just visit old friends for a good chat?" he teased with clear mirth in his voice. The Breton merely laughed in reply. "In all seriousness though, as much as I wish it _was_ a social call, I am here on business. Astrid is wanting to use your contacts to find potential recruits for us."

To say Delvin was less then surprised by this request was a huge understatement. "Ah, so you lot goin' down 'ill then?"

"You could say that." Okan-Ru replied, smoothing back blood red feathers atop is horned head before brandishing a hefty coin purse. "Here, consider this a bonus." he dropped the purse on the table. After a moment Delvin opened the purse, allowing the coins to spill out over the documents he was previously reading. Even though his eyes glinted with glee, he kept a professional personage about him as he turned his gaze back to the Argonian assassin.

"Right, I'm more then 'appy to 'elp you out, but well as you can see, we've only just managed to get back on our feet, so I won't make any promises that we can find you anything. But, you can tell your lovely mistress that we'll be sure to keep our ears to the ground for ya."

"That's more then I could ask for Delvin." Okan-Ru reassured before glancing around. "I must say, this place certainly has gotten more lively since last I was here. Had a complete turn in luck then?"

Delvin smiled at that. "Not only that, but it's actually all thanks to our most recent recruit. Didn't think much of 'er when she first turned up, but in only a few short months she's really turned a new leaf for us. Never seen a more skilful thief like 'er in my life."

Okan-Ru laughed again, as if he didn't believe him. "That right? In which case, I would certainly like to meet her if that's at all possible."

Delvin shook his head. "'Fraid not. She's out on a very important contract right now. If she's successful, then we'll 'ave netted Wind'elm in our grasp and we'll 'ave Skyrim fearing us like in the old days."

Okan-Ru looked downtrodden at that. "Ah, well that's good news then. Shame it is not the same for us. Still scrounging for contracts, recruits dropping like flies." his voice dropped a few octaves, annoyance evident in his tone. "Quite embarrassing really. Never would have allowed this to happen were I in charge."

Delvin hummed, nodding his head in sympathy. "Sorry to 'ear that. But don't worry, I'm sure things'll pick up again."

"I do hope your right." the Argonian replied. As he was about to continue, his sharp eyesight quickly spotted movement in the dark hall behind Delvin. Emerging from around the corner, the silhouette of a small figure emerged. It soon became clear that it was a girl and a Khajiit at that, due to the prominent ears and tail. As she stepped into the candlelight, Okan-Ru eyes widened.

The snow white and black patched fur, the long ebony hair tied back in a half ponytail and rounded face flared up a spark of recognition in the dark Argonian. What caught his attention most of all was her eyes. A pair of large sapphire blue orbs perfectly flanked her narrow nose, which was marred by three thin scars. For a moment he thought that she was someone he once knew, but quickly figured out that this girl wasn't who he first believed her to be. He mentally berated himself for that.

When the young white Khajiit padded further into the tavern, pooling a black fur-lined cloak over a stack of boxes on her way, Okan-Ru studied her more intently.

By Sithis, but she was small, standing at only four foot eight with a thin waistline. However, he quickly noticed that even through her Guild armour, she had a pair of deliciously wide hips, which made up for the lack of bosom that he was sure was just hidden a little too well under the thick leather.

Finally, he spied the weapons on her. A tall, beautiful black and silver bow was slung over her shoulder with a quiver only half full of mismatched arrows. She more then likely scrounged those up wherever she could. Strapped to her left thigh was an ebony dagger. That told him all he needed to know about her: that she relied more on attacking from range or the shadows. She could probably kill someone at close range with her dagger if she knows where the armour would be lightest, but he highly doubted that. From her look alone, she seemed far too innocent to have seen a battle head on.

How did a girl like this get mixed up with the Thieves Guild?

He was broken from his musings as the girl walked up to Delvin's side, a smile on her black lips. Delvin smiled back. "Ah, your back." he greeted. "Didn't think you be back so soon."

"So soon?" she echoed with an incredulous tone, her voice thick with an Elsweyrian accent but was incredibly soft, very unlike most female Khajiit. "Windhelm's three days away from here. There's bandits and feral animals on the road, I'm avoiding guards _and_ platoons of soldiers, who by the way are killing each other in the dozens. I was gone for over a week!"

"And still everyone else had to deal wiv that and they still beat you back 'ere." he light-heartedly replied. "Come on Ty'ani, Niruin went all the way to Solitude and 'e was still faster then you!"

"They went weeks before..." she paused then, crossing her arms as a playful look filtered into her eyes. "All right, now your just trying to bait me, aren't you Delvin?"

The Breton laughed as she lightly slapped him upside the head. Okan-Ru could plainly see that despite the Guilds insistence that they were business partners only, this spectacle in front of him tells him that each member does really care more for each other then they first let on.

However, when her eyes darted to him, he saw her squirm uncomfortably. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked after a pause.

Okan-Ru blinked, refraining himself from continuing to stare. "Apologies." he answered simply, gaining back his composure.

Ty'ani only cocked a brow at him, more then likely thinking what a strange man he is. Either way, she shook her head before turning back to Delvin. "In any case, Torsten Cruel-Sea has agreed to assist us. Oh, and Niranye is fencing for us again."

"Yes, I 'eard." Delvin replied with a look of pride on his face. "Torsten was gratified the death of 'is daughter was avenged and the 'eirloom was returned. At this very moment, 'e's layin' the groundwork for the Guild to re-establish itself in Wind'elm."

"Well, let's hope the Summerset Shadows gets the message I left for them."

Delvin laughed. "Bein' a thief is like a second skin for you, ain't it? Never seen anything like it."

All at once, Okan-Ru understood. "Ah, so this is her then?" he once more looked her up and down, subtly cocking a brow that was laden with small horns. "Sorry to say, but I am not all that impressed."

Ty'ani frowned at that, her ears folding back in irritation. Okan-Ru also saw Delvin shake his head with a smile from the corner of his eye. "Oh? Is that so?" she asked in annoyance, placing a hand on her hip as she stepped slowly toward him. "Do you think, just because I don't look like much, I'm not capable of being a thief? That I'm too fragile?"

She walked round his back as she continued to talk. Okan-Ru wasn't at all intimidated. It was hard to be afraid of a person that was more than a head shorter than he is. However, he kept his guard up regardless. Personal experience taught him that even the weakest looking person can show a surprising amount of strength. Plus, seeing Delvin fighting to keep himself from laughing wasn't helping matters.

He watched her tail twitch out of his sight as she continued. "Or... is it because I'm a woman? Are you one of those men who prefer their women to be soft and pliant? Because let me tell you, mister: I am not one to take that sort of attitude lightly. I don't know you, you don't know me and you have no right to judge me in any way." she paced back round into his field of vision, pulling the empty chair beside him from the table before sitting in it with a smirk on her face. "Beside, I should be telling you that your Brotherhood should train their members better, if you're the best they have..."

Okan-Ru snapped his gaze to her, annoyance evident in his one working eye. However her smirk merely widened, crossing her legs nonchalantly and leaned back in her chair, lifting her right hand up at the same time. In her palm sat a hefty leather pouch which clinked distinctively as she handled it. "Since you have quite poor senses for an assassin." she finished.

Needless to say, the look of surprise on the Argonian's face caused both the Breton and Khajiit to start laughing. He groped at his belt, finding his personal coin purse was completely absent. Once he discovered this, he snapped his gaze back to the girl, clearly astonished. How in Oblivion did she manage to untie that from his belt without him noticing? It was at that point that he realized that he had truly underestimated her, mentally berating himself that judging people from one look never benefits anyone.

Therefore, he smiled at her. "Impressive." he praised as she handed the pouch back to him. "Most impressive. It is not often I am outwitted."

She laughed at that. "Indeed." she simply replied. Though a moment later, she sighed, slumping back in her chair. "Frankly, it's not often I purposely provoke an assassin. Should count myself lucky you didn't decide I was more trouble then I was worth."

Okan-Ru laughed back. "Yes, well I don't believe your colleagues would take too kindly to me pointing sharp objects anywhere near you, since you are their best after all."

Ty'ani fidgeted at that, quite clearly embarrassed with the compliment. "Oh no, I wouldn't say I'm the best."

"Oh there you go again, selling yourself too short." came a sudden voice that caught all their attention and caused Ty'ani to jump in fright. It was Brynjolf, easily recognisable due to his rough features and red hair. The Nord man smile in obvious amusement at Ty'ani's reaction, leaning on the back of her chair as he spoke to her again. "Didn't scare you, did I lass?"

Ty'ani whipped her head around to face him, her long hair flying from the sudden movement. "What? No, no of course not." she answered quickly. A bit too quickly as the three men watched her fumble with her words, mirth in their eyes. "Come on Bryn, you know I don't scare easy... I was just, erm... er, I was-"

"Surprised?" Okan-Ru offered.

"Yes." she answered, however her eyes widened when she realized that was even worse. "No! What? No, I don't get surprised either! I-I..." she stopped when the three began to laugh boisterously. She frowned, her ears and tail twitching erratically in embarrassment. "By the Gods, you three are doing this on purpose!"

Attempting to catch his breath, Brynjolf shook his head as he finally answered. "Oh, now would we really do that to you?"

Ty'ani crossed her arms, shooting Brynjolf a glare that said 'yes you really would'. At that, Ty'ani rose from her seat, brushing her long hair behind her shoulders and cleared her throat to regain her resolve. "Well, in any case boys, I need to speak with Vanryth. So if you'll excuse me." she remarked quickly and with a flick of her tail, Ty'ani departed the break room and dashed over to the blacksmith.

They watched her go for a short while, but before long the three men turned back to each other. Okan-Ru- with a smirk still on his face- spoke first. "Well, she is quite the catch."

"Aye, that she is." Brynjolf agreed. "Never would've thought that she would become our best member in a few short months when I first met her." The Argonian nodded in reply, settling back into his chair as Brynjolf took the one vacated by Ty'ani. Once he was situated, the Nord continued. "In fact, we've given her the offer of being our new Guild Master. Though she keeps refusing."

That caught Okan-Ru's attention. " _New_ Guild Master?" he repeated, glancing between the two. "There something I should know about?"

Both thieves attitude immediately changed then, each frowning. "Yeah." Delvin began slowly. "Let's just say that it was Mercer who'd been stealin' from our vault. Woulda destroyed us completely 'ad it not been for Ty'ani."

"Aye, went under our noses to uncover the truth and showed it to us in the nick of time." Brynjolf continued. "I tell ya- that girl is the luckiest, brightest and bravest of us all."

"That right?" Okan-Ru said, his respect for the tiny girl beginning to increase by the second. "If that is the case, then why ever would she refuse the offer of becoming leader?"

"Who knows." Brynjolf replied truthfully with a shrug of his shoulders. "But either way, I'm making damn sure that she's recognised for her actions."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Meanwhile, in spite of the hard journey she'd recently had and the embarrassing conversation earlier, Ty'ani was in an incredibly good mood.

Once Vanryth brought her to his workshop, she was ecstatic to find that the commission she gave him was finally done. The Dunmer man stood in the doorway, beaming with pride as the young Khajiit appraised his work. She circled a mannequin that stood at exactly her height and was sporting a set of leather armour. Though it wasn't just any old set.

It had a thick black bodice with an off-white shirt underneath, black leather leggings and arm-warmers- though the left was shorter than the right- each ending in fingerless gloves. The boots and gauntlets were much thicker, the forearms covered with silvery metal and the boots sporting the same metal toe-caps. Finishing the piece was two leather belts, the thinnest staying the typical brown colour. Attached to the thick black belt was a large belt pouch baring the silver emblem of the Thieves Guild. Also it connected to a sheath for her dagger that would buckle around her thigh. Finally, fastened around the mannequin's shoulders was a black hooded cloak, lined with a thin layer of bear fur. It also had holes for her backpack and quiver, which would still allow her to cover herself if needed.

In short, this set was exactly what she had wanted and then some.

She paused in her step, turning her eyes to the blacksmith with her hands on her hips. "I... I just..." she started, utterly speechless. "It's... wow. That's all I can say. It's definitely surpassed my expectations."

Vanryth rose a hand up, his palm facing her as he shook his head. "Now Ty'ani, there's no need to be so formal with me, it was a pleasure doing this for you. After all, thanks to you my business is booming again."

"Regardless," the Khajiit said, approaching the Dunmer as she reached into one of the many belt pouches on her Guild armour. "You've done a brilliant job. So this is well deserved." she pulled out a heavy coin purse and dropped it into the mer's hand. Glancing once more at the armour, she inquired further. "What was it you said the bracers were made of?"

"Mithril." Vanryth swiftly replied. "Though nowadays it's more commonly known as Quicksliver. Finding the ore was the hardest part since its extremely rare, hence why I took as long as I did."

Ty'ani nodded at that, though she didn't entirely understand. It was widely known round the Guild that she was quite undereducated, though not many quite knew the full extent of her lack of knowledge. She doesn't tend to carelessly spread such information around when it wasn't needed. But either way, Vanryth took her silent answer in stride, beginning to exit the workshop.

"Anyway, enough yammering out of me. Go ahead and try it on for size." at that he left, closing the door behind him leaving Ty'ani all alone. The Khajiit wasted no time, quickly removing her Guild cuiruss, gloves and boots, replacing them with the new armour but leaving the cloak off for now.

Thankfully, the latches of her bodice and gauntlets were easy to figure out on her own, saving her from embarrassment- despite being alone in the cavernous room. It made her think back to the first time she received her Guild armour, it took her almost an hour to figure out all the fastenings and what goes where. In the end, Tonilia became so frustrated that she was taking so long that she just stormed in to assist her. Needless to say, Ty'ani wasn't on the Redguard woman's good side for the longest time after that.

Once everything was in place, she stretched out her limbs, trying to get a feel for the set. The leather creaked as she moved, not quite used to the level of movement Ty'ani was performing as it was stiff, but that was to be expected. Brand new leather needed to be broken in before that level of flexibility can be achieved. Aside from that, it was light and airy, fitting comfortably on her figure.

With a wide smile, the Khajiit girl grabbed hold of the discarded belt of her Guild armour, removing the belt pouches that she added to it. Taking off the thick leather belt round her hips, she threaded and buckled the pouches on. Replacing the strip of leather, she tied her coin purse noiselessly on her right hip as a finishing touch.

The lack of noise from the purse was a trick every thief knew. As they all made a living stealing from people, it was essential that they can accurately judge how much a single person has on them from the sound of their coin purses alone. However, as they weren't the only ones into the business of larceny, they have to go to lengths to ensure that they don't get pick-pocketed either. Therefore, every thief's purse is double packed to cushion the coins within so they make the minimum amount of noise. Ty'ani herself ties her purse to her front and traps the string under a belt pouch, making stealing from her a harder business.

Once she was finished, she placed her quiver and Nightingale bow back over her shoulders and rested one strap of her backpack over a shoulder. After slipping her dagger into its new sheath, she folded her old armour and new cloak over her arm, exiting the workshop. As she passed through the Ragged Flagon, she noticed that the only people there were Vekel, Dirge and Guild patrons. There was no thief in sight. Not even that assassin.

Confused, Ty'ani walked to the back room, slipping through the fake cupboard and to the entrance of the Cistern. Her ears twitched when the noise of the water falls assaulted them, but beyond that she heard nothing else. Not the twang of Niruin's bow or the thump of impacting arrows, not the sound of Vipir's vain attempts of wooing Sapphire, not even Thrynn and Cynric's banter during a friendly spar.

As she stepped further into the cavern however, it quickly became evident why it was so quiet. The room was full of every member of the Guild, but each one of them was respectfully silent and looking to her. Having that many eyes on her- even if they are people she trusts- was unnerving to the Khajiit girl. She scanned the room out of habit, taking note of every face she saw. Brynjolf, Vex, Delvin and a woman clad in Nightingale armour stood on the centre platform. Her eyes widened when she realised that it was Karliah. Her sharp eyes also picked out other familiar faces among the crowd of thieves. One was Maven Black-Briar, which was surprising enough, but the one that astonished her most of all was the presence of the assassin.

She would have missed him had she not been intensely looking, as his black form blended seamlessly with the dark background. It was almost like his very being drank the darkness. She only spotted him leaning casually against the wall because of his one glowing gold eye, even then it was hard to make him out completely.

Well and truly perturbed, Ty'ani left her bundle of armour and backpack on her bed before approaching the four in the centre. She glanced at each person with unmasked bewilderment but before she could speak, Brynjolf beat her to it.

"Look, I've never been good at these things, so I'm just going to keep it short." Now silenced, Ty'ani closed her mouth and nodded, allowing him to continue. "You've done more for the survival of this Guild in only a few months than most of us could achieve in a year. Because of that, you deserve the title of Guild Master. But, as you've made it clear that it's not what you want, we've instead come up with a compromise." the red head Nord reached into his belt-pouch, pulling out a small black box. Stepping forward, Brynjolf handed the object to her as he continued. "That there is a symbol; one that will tell every thief of the deeds you have done for this Guild. Wear it proudly."

Completely baffled and speechless, Ty'ani darted her eyes to the box in her hand. It was simple in its design, the lid sporting no lock or complicated mechanism, just a normal hinged lid. Lightly gripping the lid, she opened it tentatively.

Inside, sitting on a velvet cushion, was an amulet. It was connected with thick twine melded together with metal clasps. The amulet itself was circular in shape with three points, which had blue gems in the centre of each and was swirling with some sort of enchantment. After closer inspection however, Ty'ani figured out that the points were actually smaller versions of the Guild's symbol. Eyes wide, she glanced back up at Brynjolf, her chest tight with pride and embarrassment. The Nord smiled at the look on her face. "Now lass, you shall be known as the Guild's honorary Master Thief." he glanced to his right, looking to the male Breton. "Delvin?"

"Agreed." he replied without hesitation.

Brynjolf then turned to the Imperial woman at his left. "Vex?"

"Sure, why not." she dismissed, but Ty'ani clearly saw the pride in her expression. That made her feel warm inside. Finally, Brynjolf turned to their fellow Nightingale.

"Karliah?"

"Absolutely." the Dunmer immediately agreed, her lilac eyes glinting under her hood.

Brynjolf nodded. "Everyone's in agreement, so all I can do now is name you honorary Master Thief and wish you fortune and long life." he then became serious, placing his fists on his hips as he eyed the thieves on the outskirts. "Now everyone get back to work." on his word, everyone was set into motion, returning to their daily activities. Ty'ani, in a bid of befuddlement, stayed rooted to the spot as Vex, Delvin and Karliah brushed past her, the open box still held in her palm.

Due to her state, she almost missed Brynjolf stepping to her side, though her attention was well and truly caught when he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You doing all right there lass?"

The Khajiit blinked, her mind racing as she fought for what to say. "I..." was all she got out at first, but quickly gained her composure, attempting to make it look as though none of this affected her. "So that's it? There's nothing else to it?"

Brynjolf let out a short laugh at that. "Well, that's it. Sorry if it isn't the ceremony you were hoping for, but we're not exactly known for throwing our coin around. Oh, one more thing. That amulet isn't something that's been given to just anyone. It's been in the Guild since before the Oblivion Crisis, only ever given to the most prestigious members. It called the Amulet of Articulation. Whenever you wear it, you may find that most people will be more pliant to your will- a useful tool for one of our profession. If you want to keep doing jobs, just speak to Vex or Delvin as usual, they'll set you up."

He patted her one last time on the shoulder, leaving her side to return to work himself. "Oh, by the way." he called back, drawing her attention again. "Liking your armour, suits you." with that, he walked away.

After standing there dumbly for a few seconds more, Ty'ani escaped to the outskirts, sitting gracelessly on her bed. She got her wish; she isn't the Guild Master, though she's still the most recognised person in the Guild. She was honoured that everyone thought so much of her, but all she really wanted was to blend in again.

Glancing back at the amulet, she sighed. Well, there is one thing this entire experience has taught her: if she doesn't want to stand out of the crowd, than don't be the hero. Then again, if she didn't do anything then Mercer would have got away, taking the Skeleton Key with him and leaving them with eternal bad luck with the doorway to Nocturnal's plain permanently open.

She pursed her lips as she slipped the amulet out of its container, holding it up to the light to inspect it further. Before she could completely appraise it however, a sudden voice caused her to jolt in surprise. "A rare thing that is. Beautifully crafted. You would definitely be complete with that round your neck." turning to the source, the form of the assassin filled her vision, leaning against her bedside table casually as though he owned the place. Ty'ani wasn't sure if she liked the company of this Argonian, or his uncaring attitude.

Clearing her throat as she lowered the jewellery, Ty'ani carefully inquired. "I'm sorry?"

"Your armour suits you," he elaborated. "But your collar is regretfully bare. Wearing that amulet will complete you."

The Khajiit couldn't help but frown at that. Who did this man think he was, coming here appraising her; as if _she_ was a piece of jewellery? "And what gives you the right to tell me what I can and cannot wear?"

The Argonian only smiled with a cocked brow. "I said nothing of the sort." he corrected, resting a hand on the pommel of one of his long swords. "Merely making an observation. Is that so wrong?"

Ty'ani didn't reply, her look alone told him all he needed to know. She glanced down at the amulet sitting in her palm, setting aside its box. Sighing, she unclasped the chain, sliding it round her neck. Once fastened in place, Ty'ani placed a finger on the jewel and glanced at it. She must admit, it does look good on her and she does feel complete. Maybe being recognised won't be so bad after all.

She smiled. "Well, I suppose your right." she told him as she peered up at him, gazing into both his eyes, to which he chuckled.

"Of course I am. It is my job to observe people after all."

Ty'ani couldn't help but shiver at that, glancing back down at the amulet resting above her refined bosom. After a moment though, she spoke to him again. "Oh, you never did..." she began, but stopped short when she saw he was no longer there. Blinking, she finished slowly. "Tell me, your... name." she scanned the Cistern in search of him, but he was nowhere in sight. He couldn't have just vanished into thin air, could he?

Sighing, Ty'ani shrugged it off; she has more important things to deal with after all.

After sorting her inventory and placing what she doesn't need in her chest, she returned to the tavern. Just because now she's an authority figure of sorts, it doesn't mean that she doesn't want to go on any more jobs. Maybe Vex could give her an interesting job.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The world burned around her, as hot as the flames of Oblivion. The fire was everywhere, eating everything in its path, clogging the air with lung constricting black smog. It even seemed as though the sky itself was on fire. The cloying stench of smoke and burning flesh assaulted her nostrils with each gasping breath, even tasting it on her tongue and in her throat. There was no escaping it as she ran through the streets, her hands bound as she fought against retching up on the spot.

Ty'ani's heart thudded against her ribcage, like a deranged convict fighting against his prison, each desperate step she took increasing the muscle's pumping rate, making her feel like it was bound to explode. With every footfall, hot lead pumped through her veins as opposed to blood but she couldn't stop, she had to keep running. She couldn't let it get her like it had done with the rest of the town.

She bypassed the burning corpses that littered the floor, fearing that if she slowed for a single moment then she'll be dead.

It was then a devastating bellow shook the air like a thunder clap, nearly causing her to seize up in fright. The dark storm clouds overhead roiled like a maelstrom, belching forth a volley of flaming meteors. One of which impacted far too close for comfort, exploding upon a nearby house causing flames, rock and cinder-block to fly in all directions. It was by instinct and blind luck that she dodged the flaming craters. Everywhere she ran, she saw only death. Soldiers torn in half, buildings aflame and crumbling under their own weight with the occupants still inside and dead or dying people crushed by fallen debris.

Tears of fear falling as tiny rivers from her eyes, Ty'ani pushed herself further, the looming sanctuary of the keep ahead. A promise of freedom from this nightmare.

However, she had not got within ten feet of the courtyard before the ground disappeared from under her. The world spun as she was thrown asunder by a rogue meteor, sending her a few feet into the air as her fur and skin burned from the flame. She didn't even have time to scream before she landed back on earth, hard upon her shoulder. The concussion wave of the impact was enough to disorient her, now having no idea which way was up or down as she rolled for a distance before her head smashed against a rock.

Her vision blurred as she fought against unconsciousness. Sanguine blood flowed freely down her forehead, staining her snow white fur and gathering it and her hair into clumps. Ty'ani struggled to get her feet back under her again, but her concussion prevented her from steadying herself. She blinked several times to dissipate the darkness in the corners of her vision.

It was then that the ground shook, as a large mass thudded down not too far from her position. Ty'ani forced herself onto her back as the figure beyond the smokescreen lumbered closer, each impact sending tremors through the ground. Her entire person froze in terror as the horror finally broke past the wall of smoke, the only sounds in her ears were the pound of her own heartbeat and the bestial growl of the creature before her.

Tears continued to fall down her cheeks as she took in the sight of the legendary beast. The head was adorned with wicked horns, akin to a dark lord's crown. Razor sharp teeth were presented through an evil grin, an orange glow emanating from within it's jaw, which was more than large enough to swallow her whole with little effort. Blood red eyes burned into hers, hunger and malice evident in the glowing orbs, the scales as black as the darkest night; it was the vision of death itself.

The dragon arched it's head up, far higher over her then she could ever imagine, glaring down at her as if she was a tiny ant. Incredibly though, it didn't kill her like she expected. Instead, spoke to her.

" _ **Hin sul los tokaan, Dovahkiin**_ " it bellowed, the bass of it's voice rattling her very soul with each syllable that she did not understand. " _ **Dii tokaan naram. Das kreinro kun fent kos vokun naal dii viing. Keizaal los dii, ahrk nid fent vuth zey,**_ " it leaned in closer, it's lips folding back to bare it's fangs more to the tiny girl. __" _ **Ni orin hi.**_ "

Ty'ani screamed as it advanced. The last thing she saw before darkness overtook were parted jaws converging upon her.

Somehow, she still found the willpower to continue screaming in spite of her pending doom. With renewed strength, she fought against her constricting prison, not wanting it to end like this. But instead of the scalding heat of a dragon's belly, she instead felt the chill of wintry winds. Her breath fighting up and down her windpipe, she snapped her eyes open only to close them again as the naked rays of the sun assault them mercilessly. Gasping, she rose a hand up to shade her eyes and she blinked them open like a newborn kitten.

Sucking in a shuddering breath, she turned onto her side, shivering as the adrenaline coursed through her system, even as the outside chill wormed its way to her body. Glancing around, the bright forests of the Rift greeted her, finding that she was sitting under a natural overhang of rock that she had found the previous night. Looking round some more, she quickly noticed the now open flap of her tent, showing the temporary living space to the world. She moaned in pain as she rubbed the base of her tail, turning to find that she had rolled right into the rocks that made up part of the old fire pit she made the previous night. She stared into the smouldering remains, thanking the Gods it wasn't still lit.

The Khajiit let out a sigh of relief. "A nightmare. It was only a nightmare." she whispered to herself.

She rubbed her arms as the cold began to get to her, as all she wore was an oversized shirt she stole when she escaped from Helgen. Wanting to get warm, she made to crawl back into her tent for her cloak when her legs became tangled. She let out a shriek as she fell forward, barely able to throw her arms out in front of herself so she doesn't smack her face into the ground. Cursing in both the Khajiiti and the Common tongue, she struggled to get herself free of the restricting bedroll that had thoroughly wrapped itself around her like a cocoon.

Once free, she crawled into the tent, bringing the bedroll with her. She rubbed her arms again once within, moving to close the flaps for privacy. Not that there was anything to leer at her this deep in the forest apart from the wildlife, but one couldn't be too careful. This level of paranoia is what kept her alive while in Elsweyr, Cyrodiil and now Skyrim after all. Grabbing her water skin, she uncorked it and took a small mouthful, swilling it around her mouth to rid her taste-buds of stale spit.

Swallowing the water, she set the water skin down and removed her shirt before picking the pouch back up again. Pouring a small amount of water into her palm, she quickly washed herself to be rid of the sweat that had accumulated during the night. Drying herself with her shirt, she made a mental note to wash it before she put it on again as she pulled on her armour.

Once properly dressed, she once again picked up her water skin, bringing it up to her ear and gave it a quick shake. She could only hear a small amount of water splashing around in there. The Khajiit girl sighed. "I hope there's a river nearby." she muttered to herself.

As she began to pack up the camp, her thoughts drifted to her recent nightmare.

Her dreams had been haunted by that same terrifying experience at Helgen for almost every night. She had escaped with Ralof safe and sound more than a few months ago, but she still couldn't shake the images from her mind. Recently though, the night terrors were becoming worse. Before, her mind merely repeated the memory of what actually happened, but as of late her unconscious mind begun to cook up the worse possible scenario. She knew it was ridiculous to be frightened of something that never actually happened, but Ty'ani couldn't help but wonder.

When the dragon showed up, it was the largest and most terrifying thing she had ever seen before. Her time in the Thieves Guild allowed her to travel all over the province and not once had she seen the thing again. This worried her. She knew what she saw was real, but no one had seen it again. She's even asked about it once, but people either thought she was insane or had heard only rumours.

Ty'ani bit her lip, beginning to worry it between her teeth. Whatever it was doing, hopefully she'll be able to stay as far from it as possible when it decides to show up again.

Rolling up her tent and bedroll, she tied them together before tying them onto her backpack. Putting on her weapons before looping the sack through her cloak and allowed it to rest over her quiver, she glanced down at the abandoned fireplace as she munched on a piece of salted mutton she took from her pack earlier. She shook her head, deciding to leave it there for anyone else to use if they find this place.

On that thought, she tracked her way back to the main road, continuing with her journey to Whiterun since she had a job to do there. Vex told her that Ri'saad, leader of the Khajiit caravan trade, wants her to retrieve a priceless broach that belongs to him. Apparently, when a city guardsmen decided he wanted to harass them he took some of their most expensive trade items, including his late wife's broach.

As Ty'ani is one of the few Khajiit lucky enough to be let into a small number of Skyrim's cities- and that she also has a soft spot for those poor traders- she agreed to take the job.

Unfortunately, Whiterun was still at least a six day journey from her current location and Vex told her that Ri'saad's caravan would already be on their way there from Markarth. If she had any hope of beating them there, she needs to move as quickly as possible and avoid all known bandit patrols and hideouts.

Making it back to the road, Ty'ani sighed as she finished the last of her mutton. This was going to be a long week.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

It was late morning when Ty'ani finally strode down the the road toward Whiterun's entrance. The last six days of travel was hard and exhausting, her determination being the only thing that kept her going. She had only minor setbacks on the journey in the forms of hunting predators and patrolling bandits. That aside, she arrived just in time, as she could just about make out Ri'saad's caravan by the outskirts of the city gates.

When she passed by the late Honningbrew Meadery- which was taken over by the Black-Briar's thanks to her- Ty'ani's ears twitched when she heard the sound of conflict. Eyes widening, she vaulted over the barrier flanking the road and sprinted to the ridge that lead to Pelagia Farm.

Crouching down onto one knee, making herself as small as possible, Ty'ani's eyes zeroed in on the obvious battle going on in the centre of the farm fields. She spied the farmers themselves running for shelter as three warriors- each clad in matching heavy armour and carrying either great swords or battle axes- fought against a giant.

Giants were a common sight all throughout Skyrim. At a standing height of eleven to twelve feet tall, their colossal height and strength are infamous and are formidable foes when provoked. Thankfully, they are docile unless they or their mammoths are attacked. Why this one was so far from the empty plains was unclear, but it wouldn't matter as any who wonder too close to farms meet their end by a warriors sword.

As Ty'ani watched, the giant swung it's arm in a downward arch, it's massive hand swatting aside a man with long shaggy black hair. Once connected, it smacked straight into the man's chest, effectively swiping him off his feet. She clearly saw that the man became winded as he flew through the air, landing heavily on his back with his great sword landing a few paces from him.

It became distracted with another of the warriors as she swung her battle axe at it's club hand. Letting out a thundering groan, the giant pivoted around, heedless of the blood flowing from it's hand, and slammed it's weapon down. Both she and her companion leapt out of the way of the heavy weapon, but the giant swung it's hand again, catching the woman off guard. She slammed heavily into the ground, her shout of pain heard clearly by Ty'ani.

Seeing that they needed help, Ty'ani grabbed her bow and an arrow. She loaded the arrow and let it loose in record time. It wasn't a perfect aim, but it still did it's job. Just as the giant was about to pummel the woman into the ground with it's club, her arrow embedded into the base of it's neck which made it cry out in surprise. It seized up as ice and lightning bolts spread from the wound, damaging it further thanks to her bows enchantment.

The Khajiit was about to load another arrow until the only standing warrior took advantage of the giant's state. His great sword found its mark on it's lower leg, cutting deep. From both the power of the attack and the intense pain, the giant fell to it's knees, blood pouring from it's wounds. The man ripped out his sword as the giant fell and before it could react, he thrust his weapon into it's chest just below the collar-bone. Even from this distance, Ty'ani saw the giant's eyes glaze over before slumping onto it's side.

As the man ripped his sword from the now dead giant, Ty'ani looped her bow back over her shoulder as she padded closer to see if the other two were alright. The standing male went to the other, so Ty'ani went to the woman whom was gingerly sitting up.

From Ty'ani's quick study, this woman was a typical Nord. Fair skin, blonde shoulder length hair with a single braid, misty blue eyes and strong features. She looked to be in her mid-thirties with very nasty scars running down her left cheek and one down her right eyebrow. Her armour was quite unique: it was a dark colour with silver Nordic designs etched onto it and a growling wolf depicted on the neckline and belt. Her belt also had thick fur hanging from it, probably wolf fur judging from the running theme. Her weapon was a double-edged battle axe with yet another growling wolf etched to the handle.

Ty'ani knelt down beside the woman. "Are you okay?" she asked.

The woman rubbed her chest, her breath beginning to steady. "Yes, just a little winded is all. Gods, that giant gave us quite the fight."

The Khajiit girl nodded, rising back to her feet as the Nord struggled to get to hers. Ty'ani helped where she could, but as she wasn't all that strong there wasn't much that she could do. Once the woman was back on her feet, Ty'ani was taken aback by how tall she really was. She easily towered over the Khajiit by a full two heads, making the girl feel even smaller. Nords tended to tower over most of the other races anyway, but Ty'ani was considered short even amongst her own kind, therefore she felt like a mouse in comparison to this behemoth of a woman.

The two men- whom Ty'ani noticed sported similar features but had different length of hair- with one supporting the other joined the two of them. The woman padded gingerly over to them, placing a hand on the long haired man's shoulder. He nodded and she patted him in reply. She spoke in low tones to the two of them and they nodded, beginning to walk away. The blonde woman turned back to her with a smile. "Thank you for the save by the way, I owe you." at that, she turned to join her comrades.

Ty'ani blinked. ' _Quick and to the point, typical Nord. At least she was polite._ ' she thought to herself with a shake of her head. She watched the three of them make their way to the city entrance, but she wouldn't be following them. While she was allowed inside Whiterun, it didn't mean that the gate guards wouldn't have a verbal debate with her about it. Not in the mood for that, she instead turned the opposite direction, jogging to the city wall.

Locating a lower section of the wall, Ty'ani took a few steps back in preparation. In the next second, she sprinted at the wall and kicked off it, vaulting herself up higher so she could reach the ledge. Her arms were harshly jarred as gravity took full effect, threatening to loosen her grip, but she forced herself to hold on. Planting her feet on the surface to assist in her ascent, she pushed off the wall and pulled herself up as she sucked in a breath. She exhaled as her knee found its way to the ledge, making it easier for her to get up.

Once on the wall, she stayed crouched down, using her tail to assist in balancing herself. From where she climbed, she found herself above the residential area of the Plains District. Even though it was a bright sunny day, not one person looked up to see the Khajiit crouched above them. Satisfied that she won't be seen, Ty'ani took off her bow, unbuckled her backpack and quiver and dropped them down carefully. Flattening one hand on the stone wall, she leant forward before letting herself fall off and into the city. When her feet connected to the ground, Ty'ani softened the fall by bending her knees and curling forward which turned to a forward roll, completely cushioning her drop.

Raising up onto her knees, she smiled before standing and turning to replace her gear. Once everything was in its proper place, Ty'ani flattened herself against a nearby house and peered round the corner. The marketplace lay beyond, completely bustling with activity, which would work to her advantage. Picking her moment, Ty'ani left her hiding place and integrated herself seamlessly into the throng of people.

She ascended the steps leading to the Wind District, deciding to get this job finished as soon as possible. She navigated through the thoroughfare where the recently restored Gildergreen was located. She's heard that the person who restored the tree to it's former glory went through great lengths to do so; apparently having to fight a Hagraven in the process. Ty'ani's run into Hagravens before, needless to say she never wants to again. Being a frightening combination of a woman and a bird, they are a terrible force to be reckoned with in both close and distant combat, fighting with claws and magic.

Shaking off those thoughts, she continued round the back of the Temple of Kynareth to the Hall of the Dead. It was here she paused for a moment. Vex told her that the guard who took Ri'saad's broach had put it there according to her sources, which meant Ty'ani had to go tomb robbing. That rubbed her the wrong way, but it was for a good friend and associate of their Guild and someone had to do it, may as well be her.

With that in mind, she walked inside.

The first thing that hit her as she entered was the faded smell of death. In this main chamber, the priest who ran this place thoughtfully attempts to expel the scent with incense. It may mask the scent for other species, but for Khajiit the smell was ever present. She wrinkled her nose as she glanced around.

The priest was nowhere in sight. That made things harder, as he could be inside the burial halls for all she knew. She'd prefer to know exactly where the priest was, but she didn't want to waste any time. This was her one chance as Ri'saad's group could leave at any time.

Keeping her steps light, she crept to the metal doors opposite the entrance, quickly slipping through them.

Ty'ani gagged, as the smell of death was more prominent through here. Steeling herself she floated throughout the hall, searching the tables, floors and even inside the coffins to her disgust, until she finally found what she was looking for on the lower floor. A round silver broach with a beautiful etching of the twin moons sat upon a coffin in an alcove, placed there with careful reverence. Ty'ani felt guilty for taking from the dead, but this piece of jewellery didn't belong here. Plucking it from its place, she tucked it carefully into her large belt pouch.

As she was about to leave however, a shimmer of pink in her peripheral vision caught her attention. Turning, Ty'ani let out a soft gasp at what she saw.

A diamond shaped gem sitting in a golden case beckoned her attention. Immediately she knew what it was, as she had five others of its kind in her backpack already. A Stone of Barenziah. A smile stretched across her black lips. Scanning the area once more to ensure she was alone, Ty'ani silently stepped toward the Stone.

She reached out to grab it but a mere millimetres away from taking it, a sharp voice cut through the silence and formed ice in her chest. "What do you think your doing!?"

Without looking to see who it no doubt was, Ty'ani instead struck out and snatched the Stone. In the same instance she released her tensed muscles, using the sudden surge of adrenaline to sprint away. She briefly heard the priest shout out and come running after her. She barged her way through the doors and back out into the cold air, running as fast as she could.

"THIEF! THIEF!" she heard the priest scream and she mentally cursed. Every guard within hearing range immediately reacted, beginning to pursue her.

She ran to the right, past the prestigious homes in the district and to the stairway that lead to the city entrance. She skidded to a halt when more guards rounded the corner, rushing up the stairs toward her. She groaned. ' _This is not my day._ ' Making a snap decision, she sharply changed course, free-running up the city wall. Once on the top, she cried out in shock when an arrow whizzed past her head, forcing her head down. As more arrows were fired at her, she leapt off out of instinct. She twisted her body, righting herself for a light landing, rolling on the other side. She sighed when she heard the guards curse. She won't be safe for long, so she took the broach from her pouch and slipped the Stone in its place, sprinting for the Khajiit caravan.

The Khajiit manning the caravan stared at her in shock as she skidded to a stop before them. Ty'ani panted as Ri'saad walked up to her with his hands raised in an concerned manner. " _By Baan Dar Ty'ani, what happened?_ " he questioned in their native tongue.

Greedily inhaling breath like it was her last, Ty'ani breathlessly replied. " _No time to explain. Here_." she handed him the broach hurriedly, her ears twitching as she detected the footsteps of the approaching guards. " _Send the money to the Guild. Remember, you don't know who I am._ " at that, she sprinted off, gaining a fair distance from her pursuers. As the guards sprinted through the main gate, they immediately caught sight of her darting toward the farmland, continuing to fire arrows which mostly impacted into the ground. It seems like they're not shooting to kill, but to incapacitate her. Either way, she didn't want to be shot and avoided the projectiles whenever she could.

In her bid to get away however, she never noticed an additional guard sprinting directly at her from the side, that was until he pounced directly onto her. Startled, Ty'ani cried out as she lost her footing and they both crashed to the ground, the heavy man effectively pinning her. She immediately ceased her struggles. "All right, you caught me! I yield!" she yelled. Thankfully, the guard released her.

Though she was roughly turned onto her back, the guard pulling her up by her cloak, effortlessly getting her to her feet. In that same instant, the rest of the pursuing guards caught up, all swords drawn. One guard with an open-face helmet sneered at her. Her ears twitched, catching him muttering to himself. "Of course a bloody Khajiit. Typical." he obviously had no idea that she could hear the low tone he used. She decided not to call him out on it though, as she was in enough trouble as it was.

A different guard stood ahead of the rest, her features indistinguishable due to the closed helmet, pointing her sword at her. "You have committed crimes against Skyrim and her people. What say you in your defence?"

Of course Ty'ani had heard this speech multiple times before, though it was mostly pointed at other people since she almost never gets caught. Frankly, she's surprised that they don't get bored of this speech. Either way she stayed silent, knowing the evidence against her was quite compelling no matter what she said.

Regardless, the guard was not happy with her lack of speech. "Oh, silence? Right." she stepped up to her, sharply grabbing her shoulder and jerked her to her side. Ty'ani hissed in pain when she dug her fingers into her flesh.

It was then that another guard caught the attention of the one holding her. "Well, would you look at this Lydia," he began, gripping her large belt pouch and pulling it up slightly to bring attention to it. "A Thieves Guild symbol. Doesn't that explain so much."

Slightly worried, Ty'ani glanced at each of the guards. She let loose a nervous smile. "So, I'm guessing that you're not open to bribery, are you?"

"That we aren't." the first guard- Lydia- growled. "While under normal circumstances we wouldn't be able to touch you, you stole from the Hall of the Dead. Not even your Guild can save you from this one. The Jarl himself will decide your fate." At that, Lydia gripped her other shoulder and marched her back into the city. Another one ran ahead of them, no doubt gone to inform the Jarl about what had transpired.

Ty'ani sighed as she was forced through the streets. Curious eyes were upon her each step of the way, followed by the whispers of the townsfolk, but she kept her head up high. She may have been caught, but in no way was she going to look defeated. Her bid of defiance in the face of her doom, as it were.

They swiftly passed the Plains District into the Wind District before finally reaching the foot of the stairs that would lead them to the Cloud District, where Dragonsreach, the Jarl's palace, stood proudly. The guards led her up the stairs and through the towering doors, into the great hall.

The palace was just as enormous since the last time Ty'ani visited. At least this time, she entered through the front door. Last time, she had to sneak in through a window to complete an assignment given to her by the Thieves Guild. So now she could truly appreciate how large the place really was.

The palace had a high ceiling that stretched far over the balconies that framed the sides. Above the steps before her was a fireplace with two long dining tables- that housed generous amounts of food on their surfaces- on either side of it. Up another set of stairs was an ornate throne with a dragon skull hanging above it. It had been a matter of debate whether that skull was real or not, but there was no doubt in Ty'ani's mind after what she saw. The dining tables were occupied by family, friends and visitors to the Jarl while the area right before them was currently occupied by three people. One was an Imperial man wearing fine clothes, another a Dunmer woman in broiled leather armour, and the final one was the Jarl himself. Balgruuf the Greater.

All of their attention was firmly planted on her as she and her envoy reached the foot of the throne. They each had their attention firmly on the group. Her captors saluted to the Jarl, pressing their fists to their breast. "Hail Balgruuf, Jarl of Whiterun." Lydia greeted respectfully.

The Dunmer stepped forward, her fists pressed against her hips. "We have been informed of the situation." she began, her red eyes glaring at Ty'ani. "This is the thief?"

"Yes Housecarl." the guardswoman replied. "She was caught stealing in the Hall of the Dead. Unfortunately she is one of the Thieves Guild, therefore we believed the decision of her fate is best left to the Jarl."

"You thought wisely." Balgruuf began, his tone suggesting that he had no patience to deal with this as he tuned his glare to her. Ty'ani fought not to fidget under that gaze, ensuring that she kept eye contact with him. From personal experience, she'd found that Nords tend to respect someone more if they hold their gaze. "Tell me Khajiit; do these accusations hold truth?"

Ty'ani glanced between the faces before her, taking note of their scalding expressions. No matter what she answered with, she's in deep trouble none the less. Deciding not to make matters worse for herself, she opted for the truth. "Yes." she simply replied.

If the Jarl was surprised by her honest reply, he did well hiding it. He furrowed his brow, resting his elbow on the arm of his throne. "You are fully aware of what is done to thieves in my hold, are you not."

Ty'ani nodded. "Yes, I am."

"And yet, you still willingly admit to the truth?" he questioned. "I'm uncertain whether your entirely brave or incredibly dim-witted. Either way, I admire your courage." That confused the Khajiit. Here she was, tethering on the line of her fate, threatening to topple over, and the Jarl just comes out with a compliment which completely knocks her off balance. Having seen her expression change, the Jarl continued. "Do not mistake my intent. Know that I find your incarceration an unwelcome distraction, as we are currently on high alert, as you are no doubt aware?"

She immediately knew what he meant. "Yes, you're preparing for the dragon."

Silence is what greeted her for the longest time. She could see that each person before her- even the guards that flanked her- had no idea what to say or what to think of her answer. Finally though, Balgruuf found his voice again. "You believe that the rumours hold truth?"

Ty'ani almost sighed. "They are not rumours. I saw the beast with my own eyes, I was there when it destroyed Helgen."

This time, the Jarl did nothing to hide his surprise. He sat up higher as he contemplated her story. Finally, the Imperial beside the Jarl spoke up for the first time. "You were? Forgive our surprise, you must understand, we held no hope that there were any survivors of that day. If your story is true of course-"

"Of course it's true!" she interrupted, her patience beginning to wear thin. "I wouldn't lie about such a thing. The creature looked me straight in the eye as the Imperials was about to have my head chopped off."

Balgruuf rose a brow at that. "Hm, you are certainly... forthright about your criminal past. But it's none of my concern why the Imperials wanted to execute you. Especially now." The Khajiit couldn't help but nod in agreement. Truthfully, she didn't really want to think about Helgen any more, wanting to move the conversation along. Thankfully, after a lengthy pause as he pondered, the Jarl seemed to be in the same mindset as her. "Yes, what concerns me now is your fate. Far as I see, as of now you have two options."

Attention well and truly caught, Ty'ani listened eagerly. "You may either, serve your time in the Dragonsreach dungeon for your crime, or... you may perform a service for me. One that could be suitable for one of your talent."

Ty'ani didn't like how that sounded, especially since the man glanced at her weapons when he said that. Turning her gaze to the floor, she replied. "I'm guessing that this service could probably end in my death."

Leaning back against his throne, Balgruuf sighed. "I won't lie, it would more than likely be dangerous, but the decision of your own fate rest on your shoulders. What do you choose?"

The Khajiit's mind grappled with the decision. If she goes to jail, she'll remain safe and sound but utterly bored out of her mind. She never was one to stay put for long periods of time, after all. But if she takes the Jarl's offer, she'll most likely be faced with mortal danger.

She could clearly see the Jarl waiting patiently for her answer. She weighed her options carefully: go to jail and be bored, or do the Jarl's bidding and probably die but experience adventure and excitement. And if she succeeds, not only will she be pardoned, but there'll probably be a reward in it for her too. She smiled at that. Yes, being bored in jail will hold nothing to that potential.

Raising her head high, Ty'ani made the choice that sealed her fate. "What do you need me to do?"

Nodding, Balgruuf rose from the throne, motioning to the guards to release her. "Let us find Farengar, my court wizard." he responded, leading her to the side rooms. "He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons and... rumours of dragons."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

 _There we go, the first of many edits._


	3. Bleak Falls Barrow

**4E 201  
21st of Sun's Dusk**

The Bannered Mare's atmosphere was a cheery one, as patrons drank and clapped to the bard's song. Ty'ani however couldn't find it in herself to enjoy it. Her 'trial' with the Jarl had ended hours ago and she knew what she needed to do, which was to find an ancient artefact for the court wizard. The problem was that she really didn't want to.

She was uncomfortable with the fact that said artefact was currently housed in a Nordic tomb, Bleak Falls Barrow. She had to search her memory about the place, quickly remembering that Ralof had briefly told her of it when they ran from Helgen's destruction. Something about how the place is haunted with the undead. She scoffed at the time, until she explored a ruin for herself. It was with Mercer Frey at Snow Veil Sanctum, at a time he had her believe that Karliah was the traitor to their Guild. And there was when he betrayed her, stabbed her and left her for dead. She still had the scar below her right ribcage to prove it. That aside, the tomb was far too difficult to sneak through, and the dead returning to life frightened her to no end. It was enough to keep her from entering another tomb again, so it was no surprise that- although she had no choice- she really didn't want to go to the Barrow. Not without help at least. After all, the Jarl never said anything specifically about going alone, so therefore she was entitled to take someone else. Loopholes were a wonderful thing.

Unfortunately, getting the perfect person for the job wasn't as easy as it sounds.

Situated in the dark corner by the entrance, Ty'ani rested her head in her palm- not at all interested in the meal she bought for herself- sighing in irritation. She had been here for two hours already, watching people come and go but not one wanted to travel with her. It was either because she was a Khajiit, or they knew of her theft earlier. In most cases, both. Case in point, Ty'ani flicked her eyes to a Redguard man who had been glaring at her since she entered. It really seemed as though her very presence was an affinity to these people.

With a groan, the Khajiit folded her arms on the table and rested her chin on her forearms, however she jumped in surprise when something sharp jabbed into her arm. Sitting back up, she quickly figured out the cause, seeing her amulet rest innocently back against her chest. She frowned. Brynjolf had told her that this thing would help her to bend people to her will. If that's the case, than it was doing a very poor job.

Exhaling a frustrated breath through her nose, Ty'ani leant back in her seat, ears folded against her head and her tail twitching behind her to showcase her mood. Not that anyone would understand the motion anyway. She rubbed her eyes with a thumb and finger. "The Gods truly hate me." she mused to herself. It was at that point she decided that no one in this city was going to help her. They were all too proud and they didn't want to be seen with a Khajiit and a thief. She's really starting to wish she was a bit more subtle now, as she wouldn't be in this mess if she executed even the slightest bit of caution.

Before she could think about rising from her seat however, a sudden voice startled her. "Pardon me." the girl removed her hand from her eyes, glancing up at the person who spoke to her. She was astonished to see a Nord woman standing before her. She wore a plain off-white shirt with brown breeches and dark leather boots, carrying a tankard of mead in one hand and a plateful of food in the other. As Ty'ani studied her more intently however, her eyes widened in surprise.

She knew this woman. She was a little unrecognisable without her heavy armour, but the Khajiit quickly figured out that it was the woman who she helped just this morning outside the city. The Nord continued once she had the Khajiit's attention. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to intrude on your thoughts, but everywhere else is full. Would you mind if I sat with you?"

Ty'ani was astounded. Why on Nirn would this woman _ask_ to sit with her? Any other self respecting Nord would just demand that she move and disappear from their presence. Not that she was complaining of course, it was a nice change, but still Ty'ani couldn't help but feel wary. Either way, she wouldn't repay this woman's respectful question with a rude answer.

Clearing her throat, she nodded, gesturing to the empty chair beside her. "Of course." she replied. As the woman became situated with a smile, Ty'ani began to rise from her seat. "But you wouldn't want to be seen with me, so I'll take my leave."

Before she could grab her equipment though, the woman immediately answered back. "Oh, are you not going to finish your meal?"

Looking back at her, Ty'ani's confusion increased. Shaking that off, she quickly replied. "I'm not hungry, thank you." In spite of her protesting stomach, but it wouldn't be the first time she went without food.

The Nord, however, was having none of that. "Unacceptable. You bought this meal fairly, therefore you deserve to enjoy it. Sit." she gestured to the seat Ty'ani had just vacated, her tone suggesting that there was no room for argument. She watched the girl's face change between shock and wariness.

Ty'ani was indeed wary. What was this Nord's game? Why was she insisting that she remain seated with her? With these questions floating round her mind, Ty'ani placed her equipment back down and sat back in the chair. In her peripherals, she noticed quite a few people staring at them, but she did her best to ignore them.

Now satisfied, the Nord took a sip from her tankard before beginning on her meal. "I apologise for my tone." she said after one bite of her bread. "But I cannot in good conscience allow anyone to go without, no matter their race."

That made the girl pause. She glanced up at the Nord with a questioning look. "You..." she began slowly. "Don't care that I'm a Khajiit?"

"Of course not." she replied without hesitation, a kind smile on her face. "I wouldn't let any of these short minded folk get to you. Most of us are happy to welcome outsiders and it isn't fair that your race is being forced to stay out the gates. You are quite fortunate to have been let in." it was then that a thoughtful look crossed her features as she continued eating, studying Ty'ani more intently. A look of recognition replaced that in a heartbeat. "Wait, I remember you."

Ty'ani's insides went cold at that. Oh here it comes, she's going to accuse her of thievery and hate her. But the woman's next words were not what she expected though. "You're the Khajiit that assisted us outside the city, yes?"

Her mouth agape, Ty'ani glanced at her dumbly for a second. She didn't know about what she did? Or she did and was just playing with her. Either way, the Khajiit mentally shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts, quickly nodding outwardly. "Yes, I recognise you too."

The Nord smiled. "Well, thank you again for that. If you had not come along when you did, I would be in the temple by now. Or dead." placing her half eaten bread down, she brushed the crumbs clinging to her fingers on her shirt before offering her hand for a handshake. "Haema Steel-Hand."

Blinking, Ty'ani stared at the outstretched hand for a moment before slipping her tiny hand into Haema's larger one. She braced herself for a bone jarring handshake, but surprisingly the woman shook it gently. The Khajiit smiled at that. "Ty'ani." she replied.

"A pleasure." Haema responded with a smile of her own. She dug back into her meal after that, Ty'ani following suit. After a few mouthfuls though, Haema continued. "So Ty'ani, what brings you to Whiterun?"

The Khajiit froze at that. Swiftly swallowing the morsel in her mouth, her mind raced for an answer. If this woman really didn't know that she stole from the Hall of the Dead, then she couldn't just come out a say that she did. She decided instead to take advantage of the city's reputation. Whiterun was the trade hub of Skyrim after all. "Oh, I came to trade mostly. I tend to hunt out in the plains and often times I explore forgotten caves." she smoothly lied. She was suddenly glad that the white noise in the break room drowned out her words, as no one but Haema heard what she said.

"Ah, I see." Haema nodded. "Well, it is a shame you didn't turn up a day earlier. It was the Warrior's Festival yesterday, you could have gotten a discount on weaponry and armour."

Ty'ani couldn't help but smile bitterly at that. "I highly doubt anyone would half their prices for a Khajiit. It's for the best that I didn't turn up yesterday." it was then that a thought occurred to Ty'ani, instantly remembering the service she had to perform. Looking at Haema, she knew that she is a warrior and judging from the fact that she was taking on a giant, she's more than likely a well accomplished one. This could definitely work to her advantage.

Deciding to approach this carefully, Ty'ani tentatively began. "Haema," once the Nord's attention was upon her, she continued. "There is another reason I'm here. I've been contracted to collect a priceless artefact from Bleak Falls Barrow. It's called a Dragonstone. Though I don't really have much experience travelling through tombs, and I seem to remember that you said you owed me. So, I'd wondered if you wished to accompany me?"

Haema stared at her for what felt like an age, her only outward response was a subtle rise of a brow. She pursed her full lips before taking a swig from her tankard. Finally, after a lengthy pause, she spoke. "What exactly is this Dragonstone to your employer?"

Ty'ani sucked in a breath. "From what I understand, it reveals the location of dragon burial sights. Beyond that, I'm not sure."

"And due to the rumours going round lately, it would be quite a useful tool." Haema pondered. Before long she nodded her head. "Yes, this to me sounds like an important assignment, so I will accompany you."

Inwardly, Ty'ani crumpled in relief, thanking every God she knew for her turn in luck. "All right, then we'll leave tomorrow morning."

Finishing the last of her meal, Haema nodded, rising from her seat. "Agreed. Meet me at the city gate at first light."

Still in her own seat, Ty'ani watched Haema walk out the tavern, smiling to herself. Slumping back into her chair, her previously tense muscles relaxed as she let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. Brushing her hair behind her shoulders, she sat back up to finish with her own meal- which was no doubt cold by now.

When she finished the last of her food, her right ear twitched as she heard someone clearing their throat near her. Turning to the source of the noise, Ty'ani saw a tall figure clad head to toe in a royal blue robe. Looking under the hood, Ty'ani saw the face of an Altmer woman. She had healthy olive skin, slanted acid green eyes and sharp features. Ty'ani spied wisps of auburn hair escaping the prison of her hood, which was quite unusual for a high-elf as her kind usually had either blonde or brown hair. Not that it mattered anyway, as she still held the natural beauty of her race.

Her robes were long but thick, which would protect her from the chill of the outside. The only thing she carried was a tanned satchel, of which rested on her left hip.

"Pardon me, but I could not help but overhear your conversation." she began in a low voice. "I must say, this artefact you have been assigned to collect has peaked my interest. If you would permit me, I wish to accompany you and study it before you hand it to your employer."

Ty'ani blinked at that. This elf really had a lot of nerve eavesdropping on her and Haema, but it was unsurprising. No doubt others would have been attempting to do the same if it wasn't so noisy, and use what she would say to harass her. Obviously, this Altmer only heard her because elves hearing were almost on par with Khajiit, but not quite. It was that thought that made her tense up all over again. She tilted her head as she addressed the Altmer warily. "You're very blunt. Why ever would you want to accompany me?" The elf's eyes narrowed at that.

"You clearly have trust issues." the woman responded without missing a beat. "Understandable, considering your species. But I digress: I consider myself as a scholar and I have gained an interest in the tombs of Skyrim, particularly anything that references to the dragons of old. Now, would you permit me to accompany you and to study the artefact?"

Ty'ani paused, allowing the Altmer's words to sink in. This woman clearly had no interest in extending this charade and she was very to the point. Ty'ani could respect that to a degree but as of right now, the Khajiit didn't feel particularly comfortable. Before making a decision, she had one last thing that she needed to ask. "What sort of skills could you bring to this venture?"

The elf didn't even blink at that question, answering with no hesitation. "I am not helpless if that is what your asking." she said bluntly while folding her robes aside, revealing her long slender legs encased in thick leggings and sturdy boots, with a well used dagger of elven craft strapped to one thigh. Releasing the cloth and allowing it to fall back into place, she continued. "I also have a talent in the magical arts. I am certain that having a mage with you would be beneficial, no?"

Indeed it would. Ty'ani couldn't count how many times she needed a mage during her time here. So, decision made, she nodded her head. "All right you convinced me. We'll meet at the city gate at dawn, erm..." she trailed off, subtly asking for the Altmer's name.

Thankfully she picked up on it. "Alasse Míriel."

The Khajiit nodded at that with a smile. "Ty'ani." she replied. "I'll see you at sun up Alasse."

Without another word, Alasse smoothly turned and disappeared back into the throng of people. Ty'ani on the other hand could hardly believe her luck. She had come here for the hope of gaining at least one companion for this journey and ended up with two. Nocturnal was smiling upon her, surely.

Therefore in a lighter mood, Ty'ani gathered up her equipment, placing them in the appropriate places on her body before exiting the Inn. Immediately, she headed for the General Goods store, intent on being fully prepared before tomorrow.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Early the next morning, pack heavy with all the essentials she'll need for this journey, Ty'ani dragged herself out of the Bannered Mare and through the district's thoroughfare to the main gate. She rubbed her eyes tiredly with a yawn. Her nightmares had kept her awake for the majority of the night, dragging her from her much needed rest every few hours or so. But, in spite of how tired she was, her mind refused to return to unconsciousness for the final time so therefore, she decided it was time to meet her new compatriots by the front gates.

The Khajiit sat on the low wall of the bridge that lead to the gate, watching the sunrise with tired eyes. She contemplated the red and golden colours without actually seeing them as she waited. The watery colours suggested that it was going to be quite cold today, as she could already tell by the crisp wintry air and the foggy horizon. She curled in on herself more and hugged her cloak tighter as the wind picked up.

At last, Ty'ani spotted movement in her peripheral vision. Snapping to the motion, the Khajiit was relieved to see one of her new companions. The blue robes immediately revealed the person to be Alasse, walking with purpose in her step toward her, a brown fur shawl connected with silver clasps over her shoulders to ward off the cold. Once again, all the Altmer carried with her was her small satchel and no doubt her concealed dagger. How strange that the woman wouldn't bring anything else with her, but Ty'ani was in no mood to ask about it. Besides, from Ty'ani's first impression of the woman, she would probably not appreciate any probing questions anyway.

The Altmer stepped up to her side, acknowledging her with a nod. "Good morning." she greeted.

"Morning." Ty'ani murmured back. She rubbed one eye again as she spotted Alasse give her a quick glance.

"You did not sleep well." she stated, not as a question but as an observation. Ty'ani merely grunted in reply, too tired to explain. Though honestly, as she didn't truly know the woman yet the girl didn't feel comfortable diverging any bit of information to her anyway.

Silence fell then, the only sounds were the call of the winds and the song of early birds and other animals outside the city walls.

After a few minutes, when the cockerels in the nearby farms cawed out their morning alarm, singing to the steadily rising sun, the city slowly became more alive as more people prepared for the day. Following that, the two spotted Haema exiting a house that neighboured the armourer's shop, Warmaiden's. The Nord woman was fully dressed in her dark wolf armour, her battle axe strapped to her back and a dark fur backpack over her shoulders.

As they watched, they saw the warrior turn back toward the entrance of the house as a tall man exited as well. He too was fully dressed in armour and Ty'ani's eyes widened when she recognised him as the same man who fought with Haema yesterday, the one that was also injured by the giant. Next thing Ty'ani knew, there was a flurry of movement, as two children ran out of the house and attached themselves to the adults. They were little girls: one with long black hair tied in a braid and clad in a blue dress, the other with short blonde hair and clad in a green dress. As the children alternated between hugging both adults, another figure shadowed the doorway. He was a young man who was almost a splitting image of the older man, clothed in a simple overcoat and breeches.

It didn't take long for Ty'ani to figure out that this was Haema's family. While observing the woman giving goodbye hugs and kisses to all, the Khajiit couldn't help but feel saddened. Seeing this display only reminded her of the lack of family she has, as she lost them long before she could even get to know them. She was raised in an orphanage and was never loved by the carers for one reason or other. As a result of that, she ran at the first opportunity and lived on the streets. It was where she learned of her talent in larceny, as she had no other choice if she wanted to live.

Once the eldest man walked further into the city, Haema turned to the younger man, giving him a couple of stern words. He nodded in agreement before the two of them also exchanged hugs. He and his sisters returned back inside the house as Haema strode over to them. She gave Ty'ani a kind smile but paused when she saw Alasse, cocking a curious brow. "Ah," she exclaimed at first, quickly clearing her throat as she glanced back to the Khajiit. "A friend of yours, Ty'ani?"

Ty'ani's eyes darted to her lap sheepishly. "Well, actually, she asked to come with us after you went yesterday. She's a mage, so I thought her talents could be helpful to us."

Haema looked back to the hooded Altmer, nodding her head. "You thought well." she agreed before addressing Alasse. "Tell me, you know healing magic and are able to defend yourself?"

Alasse nodded in turn. "I do." she curtly replied.

"Then that is good enough for me. It's not my place to say who can and cannot come along after all."

Alasse's thin eyebrows rose in surprise at that. "I am surprised." she admitted. "It is not often that I meet a Nord who cares not for what I am."

" _Most_ Nords are too short sighted." Haema declared with a tiny hint of disdain in her voice. A moment later, she regained her composure and offered her hand to the Altmer. "Haema Steel-Hand."

After a quick glimpse at the Nord's hand, Alasse outstretched her own, shaking it. "Alasse Míriel."

"A pleasure to meet you, Alasse."

Ty'ani smiled. Well, so far things were going smoothly, though the day was young. Either way she stood from the ledge, stepping up between the two incredibly tall women, craning her neck to look up at the both of them. "So," she began slowly. "Are we ready to go?"

Glancing down at her, the two nodded. "More than ready." Haema replied. "Let us be off." at that, the three set out through Whiterun's gates, detouring to the stables. Alasse bought herself a fair white mare while Haema prepared a painted stallion; her own no doubt. Unfortunately, Ty'ani herself couldn't ride, she had never learnt how.

When she mentioned this, Haema just smiled. "You can ride with me. Valiant is strong enough to carry us both." she patted the stallion's neck as she said that.

With that sorted, they finished preparing the horses and straddled them, beginning to follow the road to Riverwood, where that will lead to Bleak Falls Barrow.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

They reached Riverwood later that afternoon, spending the night at the Sleeping Giant Inn. The following morning, whilst leaving the horses in the care of the tavern owners, they headed to the Riverwood Trader to fill up on their water supply and buy extra water skins. Since Bleak Falls Barrow was such a large tomb, there would be no telling how long they'll be in there for, so it would be wise to keep stocked up on water.

Upon entering the small shop, they were immediately greeted with arguing. "Well, one of us has to do something!" came an irritated female voice. It was shortly followed by the voice of the shop's owner.

"I said no! No adventures, no theatrics, no thief chasing!"

The two weren't hard to spot, as they were stood by the counter, each glaring at the other having not seen the three woman enter. The woman snapped back to the man. "Well what are you going to do then, huh? Let's hear it!"

"We are done talking about this!" he yelled back with finality in his voice. It looked as though the woman was going to retaliate anyway, but he spotted the three standing in the doorway. Immediately, he dropped his mood, clearing his throat. "Oh, customers. Sorry you had to hear that." confident that the atmosphere would now quieten, the women stepped further in. The young woman retreated to a table near to the stairs as the man stepped behind the counter. "I don't know what you overheard but, the Riverwood Trader is still open. Feel free to shop."

"Did something happen?" Ty'ani asked timidly.

The man paused, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, yes. We did have a bit of a... break-in." he shook his head, continuing in a reassuring tone. "But we still have plenty to sell. Robbers were only after one thing. An ornament. Solid gold in the shape of a dragon's claw."

"Oh I see." Ty'ani replied. Well, unlucky for them, they'll never get something like that back. There was no way any self respecting thief would loose something of that value. No doubt it's long gone by now. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that." she said, hoping she sounded genuinely sorry when in actuality, all she could think of was how stupid these two must be to leave something that valuable out in the open.

"Oh it's no trouble." he replied. "No doubt those thieves would be long gone now anyway. So, are you ladies needing anything specific at all?"

"Yes." Haema said. "Would it be possible for us all to get refills of water? Perhaps extra water skins? Oh, and a travel lantern with plenty of oil."

"Yes of course." the man uttered as he took their skins to refill. Turning them back over, he searched around for their requested items, placing them on the counter top also when he found them. "That will be forty gold, please." he informed them.

Haema paid for the items as they packed them away, voicing their thanks to the shop keepers before exiting. Wasting no time, the three trekked out the village toward the bridge they crossed the previous night. Crossing over, they took a left toward the old animal path- that barely passed for a road- that lead to the mountain's peak. It didn't take long before the air began to grow even colder, forcing Alasse and Ty'ani to wrap up more, the high-elf summoning a small fire spell between her hands to keep herself warm. Haema on the other hand, due to both her natural resistance and loose fur cloak, didn't even flinch. Sometimes, Ty'ani wished that she was a Nord, if only for one day.

As the wind turned into a strong gust, the women's breath became more visible the more they climbed. Their vision becoming increasingly impaired as snow fell from the sky, but they still saw the tall and imposing structure that was their destination materialising in the distance. Adjusting the angle of her hood, Ty'ani attempted to get a better look at the top of the towering tomb, though it was difficult due to the snowflakes blurring her vision. As they enclosed on the grand staircase that lead to the entrance, a flurry of movement caught their attention through the mist. Following that, the sound of battle echoed through the air.

Suddenly on alert, the women picked up their pace. Once they got to the base of the stairs, they were shocked when a body broke through the mist and rolled down the stairs like a discarded ragdoll. They scrambled back as it skidded to a stop before them, staining the snow red with blood. It was a bandit, recognised by the ragged fur armour and cheap weapons. Astounded, they returned their gazes back to where the bandit's corpse came from, spotting two figures emerging through the fog.

It was a couple of women, one a Redguard as shown from her dark complexion, and the other a Nord. Both were dressed in similar clothing, consisting of a black leather bodice with a red shirt and a black cape- though the Nord's was a little more elaborate- also thick leggings and boots with metal toe-caps. The Nord also seemed to have something wrapped in cloth strapped to her back, looking as if it was some sort of long cylinder object. They both wore hoods that obscured their faces, though Ty'ani could still see very distinctive features on the Redguard, such as a painted white skull on her face and long black hair.

As the two tread down the steps, they rose their weapons to the three. The Nord with an elven dagger in her right and a frosty aura in her left and the Redguard with an elaborate ebony katana. In the corner of her eyes, Ty'ani could tell that Alasse and Haema were preparing to defend themselves, though the Redguard rose her sword in a threatening manner, summoning a spell in her other hand. "I would not move, if I were you." she warned as they stood before them.

Ty'ani held her hands up in surrender, keeping a wary eye on the woman. "Okay, we're not here to cause trouble."

"Is that right?" the Redguard challenged, her voice honey smooth. "Then what are you doing here if not to cause trouble? You robbing the dead?"

"No," Ty'ani quickly corrected. "We're not robbers. We're just here on official business, of which I would prefer to keep to myself."

The Redguard smiled at that, though it held no mirth as she sheathed her sword. "As you wish..." she paused when her companion stepped to her side, pivoting her head to glance at her. A silent look was passed between them, as if they were reading each other's thoughts. Before long, the Redguard nodded and without another word, they both trotted past the three. After a few steps however, the Redguard turned back to glare at them. "It would be best if neither one of you mentioned seeing us, if you know what is best for you." she threatened cryptically before running to catch up with her partner.

Ty'ani didn't like the sound of that. She didn't know what it was, but there was something off about them. It turned out she wasn't the only one that thought so. "I have a bad feeling about those two." Haema commented.

"As do I," Alasse agreed. "But let us not dwell on it." Nodding in agreement, the women climbed to the entrance, entering the giant doors to Bleak Falls Barrow.

The first chamber was quite discouraging, only the fainted light of the sun filtered through from above. A few candles showcased around the edges afforded only the barest amount of light, but Ty'ani saw in perfect clarity once her sight adjusted. As she folded her hood off her head, the first thing that caught her attention was the corpses that littered the floor. Some were skeevers, giant rat-like creatures, but others were human. One was even bent grotesquely over a table on the far right, which caused Ty'ani's innards to roil. Not to mention the smell was horrendous. A sense of anxiety gripped her conscience as the three padded further in, Haema filling her new lantern with oil before lighting it and strapping it to her belt. The new light didn't help at all with Ty'ani's unease however.

Haema and Alasse seemed indifferent of the corpses around them though, which was unsurprising. Haema, as an accomplished warrior, saw death on a daily basis and Alasse mentioned she already explored Nordic ruins before. It was no wonder they confidently strode across the chamber while she lagged behind.

Jogging to catch up with them, her attention was caught by the light of a fire up ahead. Rounding a pillar that stood in the centre, they came across a makeshift camp, the fire still burning healthily as if it had been recently lit. What disturbed Ty'ani though were the bodies of two bandits, with one laying face first in the fire which added to the retched smell of the tomb.

"Oh Gods." Ty'ani fretted, bile rising in her throat as she covered her mouth. "What happened here?"

Alasse stepped up next to the body laying beside the fire, turning it over to better examine his wounds. She frowned as she probed the largest gash on his throat. "These do not seem like conventional injuries, more akin to an animal attack. This was not the result of those women, it is likely the Draugr got hold of these two." she informed as she straightened back up.

Ty'ani really didn't like the sound of that. She swallowed nervously. "And... what is a Draugr?"

"You don't know?" Haema asked, glancing at her with a questioning look. The Khajiit shook her head as a negative, so Haema elaborated. "A Draugr is an undead Nord. A walking corpse, if you will, rumoured to have served the dragons in times of old and cursed with undeath for their treachery."

"Oh, in which case then, I've already run into them. Though I'll admit I'm not looking forward to facing another."

"None of us are." Alasse proclaimed, peering down a low tunnel that lead deeper into the tomb. "But to find the Dragonstone, we have no other choice."

Readying her battle axe, Haema confidently advanced toward the opening. "Then let's get to it, shall we?"

Nodding in agreement, Ty'ani readied her bow while Alasse summoned a fire spell in one hand and an armour spell in the other. As they advanced, Ty'ani was thankful she wouldn't have to entirely rely on her night vision to see clearly, but also insecure. It was clear no one had been here in centuries, due to the thick layer of dust covering the ancient furniture and urns, along with collections of cobwebs. The thought of spiders made her shiver: Ty'ani was absolutely terrified of spiders.

Rounding another corner, Alasse held up her hand to halt them, summoning a ball of light in the same instant. Charging it, she thrust her hand forward allowing it to fly down the hall into the next chamber. The walls lit up with the white light as it travelled before it disappeared through the doorway. A heartbeat later, Alasse nodded. "It is clear." she informed them, allowing them to progress inside.

Inside, the first thing they saw was a wrought iron gate before them, blocking their progression. Upon further study, they quickly noticed a body of another bandit in front of them completely riddled with tiny darts. Next to him was a large switch.

Ty'ani's ears twitched in suspicion. She'd run into such things at Snow Veil Sanctum, very nearly falling prey to the poisonous darts that lay in wait of such traps. There was no doubt that this bandit had befallen that exact fate. Unfortunately, she could see no other way of opening the gate.

Turning to her companions, Ty'ani sighed. "What now?" she asked.

Haema had a thoughtful look on her face while Alasse studied the area in more detail. The Altmer had previously noticed the stone pedestals to their left, each depicting a carving of different animals: a snake, a whale and a hawk. Glancing up to the archway above the gate, the same figures were present there. One was a snake and the other a whale, however the centre one was missing. She frowned as she spoke to the others. "Generally speaking," she began as she stepped further into the room. "The ancient Nords left clues to solve their puzzles, usually in forms such as this one. Unfortunately, one of the clues is missing and we will be unable to solve it if we cannot find the correct combination."

"There has to be something." Haema commented, putting away her weapon for the time being. "We just can't guess and hope for the best."

Ty'ani tilted her head then, her eyes following the crumbled mess that lead off the balcony. On the ground floor by the gate was a large mass of rock, covered with a thick layer of dust and webs. Walking over to the debris, Ty'ani brushed off the dust revealing a carving. "What about this?" she called out.

Walking up to see what she referred to, the Nord and Altmer watched as the Khajiit brushed off more and more dust until the carving of a snake was exposed. Haema smiled. "Good eyes, Ty'ani." she praised. Between them, they turned the pedestals to match the the ones on the wall before Haema pulled the lever. Immediately, the gate rose. Re-equipping their weapons, the three hastened out of the room.

Finding a spiralled wooden staircase, they each descended it carefully. It was a moment of clarity as the wood squeaked and groaned, threatening to collapse from under them. After a few tense moments, they finally reached the bottom, finding themselves in a long hallway. As they carried on, the walls became more and more covered with thick films of webbing. The silky strands stretched from floor to ceiling and Ty'ani shivered, knowing full well what the sticky substance represented.

It was far too quiet, which made Ty'ani tense and it didn't help that the clunking of Haema's armour seemed to be the only noise around, making it sound louder than it should. But before she finished that thought, a panicked voice sounded out from the chamber ahead of them.

"Is- is someone coming?" the voice called out. "Is that you Hadvir? Jorn? Soline? I know I ran away with the claw, but I need help!"

Haema narrowed her eyes, suddenly wary. Who in the world would be this deep in a Nordic crypt? "Be careful," she warned as they reached a doorway covered with a thick layer of webbing. "This could be trouble, keep your guard up."

Alasse released a small jet of flame that ate at the webbing instantly, opening the threshold up to them. What was revealed was a web covered room, large and circular which housed numerous white sacks in the corners. There was no doubt about it, this was a spider's nest and judging from the size of the sacks, it was a huge one. Ty'ani whimpered at this.

Slipping through the doorway, Alasse and Haema taking the front with Ty'ani behind, they spotted the one crying for help after a quick study of the room. The man was too far to distinguish his features clearly, and he was also tangled in a huge mass of webbing that contained drained corpses. Previous victims of the beast within. It was clear that the spider was still about and that was cemented with a distinctive chittering noise.

The man caught in the web panicked as a massive shadow formed on the ground before them, his voiced cracked as he pleaded for their help. Glancing up, the three women were greeted with a large hole in the ceiling and from it, came the largest Frostbite Spider Ty'ani had ever seen. She sucked in a sharp breath as it's eight hairy legs touched the ground, it's saliva and poison coated mandibles twitching as it spotted more potential prey.

Alasse was the first to react. Charging fire spells in each hand, she thrust them forward sending the flames to the creature. It shrieked as it's feelers rubbed at it's face in a bid to be rid of the fire. It snarled then, spitting a glob of poison toward them, which all three women dived away from.

Letting out a war cry, Haema faced the spider head on as Alasse supported her from behind. Ty'ani on the other hand was so terrified, that she rushed back to the entrance they came from. She collapsed against the doorway, her body shaking uncontrollably with her Nightingale bow still clutched in a white knuckled fist.

Two more magical attacks impacted upon the spider's tough carapace, fire licking at it's body as it retaliated. Rising it's front two legs in the air, the large arachnid slammed down on Haema, who brought her axe up in front of herself to block the attack. The Nord warrior almost buckled under the strength of the beast, grunting as it tried to fight it's mandibles around the axe's shaft. She locked her legs and met the spider with her own strength, pushing back with all her might as her muscles began to shake in excursion.

With Haema in the way, Alasse could no longer use fire bolts to attack the spider, as the resulting explosion from each would catch the Nord as well. Therefore, Alasse switched the auras to ice spells. Charging them, she let loose single well placed volleys, all in slow successions of each one so she wouldn't hit Haema.

Meanwhile, Ty'ani was still having her panic attack. There was no way that she'd be able to work up the courage to face this thing, as she even hated the tiny spiders one would find in a everyday garden. She doesn't stand a chance against the one through the wall she leant against.

However, her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a yell. Her chest turning cold, she recognised Haema's voice and it sounded as though she was in pain. Turning to peek around the door, she found that the spider had overpowered her as she was now on her back upon the web covered ground. It's mandibles were wrapped around the shaft of her battle axe, using all it's strength of fight around it. Haema fought back with ferocity, turning her head this way and that to avoid having poison drip into her mouth and eyes.

Alasse continued to pepper it with ice spikes, though while some found it's way through, most others just shattered on impact. Seeing that her companions needed her help, Ty'ani mustered her courage. She doesn't have to get close. Using that thought to her advantage, Ty'ani wrenched out an arrow, nocking it on her bow. Turning round the corner, she pulled back the string and fired.

It turned out that the arrow she had chosen was a well fletched steel arrow, often used by the Imperial Legion. She had looted them from some bandits a while back. Once more, Imperial fletchers prove their skill as the bodkin point penetrated straight through the spider's head. It caused a lasting impact, as the spider bucked up and off Haema and let loose a deafening squeal. She scrambled back as Alasse took advantage of it's weakness.

Re-summoning her fire spells, the Altmer let loose a rapid volley, completely setting the creature's carapace on fire. It collapsed with a scream, each of it's eight legs scrambling under it.

Jumping back to her feet, Haema charged forward and brought her axe down. The sharp blade cut deep into it's carapace, effectively putting it out of it's misery. Wrenching her axe out, the Nord woman grimaced at the ichor that clung to the blade.

Wiping away the gooey substance before cleaning her face of saliva, Alasse and Ty'ani stepped up to her side. Panting herself, Alasse stared at the Nord with a certain look. "Are you well?" she asked.

Flicking her hand to get rid of the slim, Haema nodded. Ty'ani on the other hand shook with disgust as she eyed the giant corpse. "Have I ever mentioned how much I _hate_ spiders?" she hissed.

"Yes, we noticed." the Altmer simply replied. Leaving it at that, Alasse stepped toward the caught man, the Khajiit and Nord behind her. Stopping before him, it was revealed that he was actually a dark-elf. He struggled feebly as he spoke to them when they approached.

"You did it, you killed it." he hurriedly stated. "Now cut me down before anything else shows up."

Alasse crossed her arms at him, giving him an acidic glare. "And why would we do that?"

"Because I know how the claw works!" he stuttered hurriedly. "The claw, the markings, the door in the Hall of Stories. I know how they all fit together!"

Ty'ani frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?" the dark-elf asked. "Well, help me down and I'll show you. You won't believe the power the Nords have hidden there."

The three of them stared at him unconvincingly. Ty'ani herself just couldn't shake the feeling that this man was lying through his teeth, just so they would cut him down. Bandits were always the same; they'll stab you in the back at a moments notice. On the other hand, there was no other way out of this chamber and from a brief glimpse through the webbing, that was the only way. There was no other choice, they had to release him. With a sigh, she relented. "Okay fine. Let's see if we can cut you down."

An excited and relieved look crossed the Dunmer's face then. "Sweet breath of Arkay, thank you!"

Between them, it didn't take long before the sticky substance came loose and the mer dropped to the floor. He was still covered with a layer of webbing, but he was free. A thing he took full advantage of, as he turned tail and ran through the newly made hole into the corridor beyond.

"You fools. Why should I share the treasure with anyone?" he taunted. Each woman sharing a scowl, they followed after him.

Winding through corridors, they soon found themselves in a tomb. Lining the walls were coffins and corpses, all eternally laying within the alcoves with their hands crossed on their chests. Once they ran into the room proper, the three spotted the Dunmer running the length of the room as fast as he could, within feet of yet another corridor.

However, what he failed to notice- and what Ty'ani spotted long before he did- was a somewhat hidden pressure plate set perfectly in his path. Stopping, the Khajiit gripped her companion's arms to keep them back, ignoring their protests, and just waited.

She didn't have to wait long. The second the bandit's heavy footstep pressed down on the plate, a disheartening click sounded out and ancient mechanisms came alive as a hidden wall snapped out from nowhere. This particular wall was made of metal and had wicked spikes adorning it, which easily impaled the bandit as it swung about. Ty'ani hissed in sympathy as the wall crashed against the stonework, crushing the bandit along with it. Not long after that, the mechanisms began to reset themselves, dragging the wall, along with the now dead bandit, back to it's original state ready to be set off again.

However the three women were far from safe, as the sickening sound of bones creaking beckoned their attention. Glancing about, they were greeted with the sight of the corpses slipping out of the alcoves in the wall. Grey skin stretched horrendously over their gaunt frames, not an ounce of flesh on them. Ty'ani gasped at the sight, her hope of not running into these things completely dashing out the window.

Haema and Alasse reacted faster then she did, rising their own weapons respectively as the Draugr charged them. The first that reached Haema was one who wielded a claymore in it's bony hands, it's icy glowing gaze locked with hers as it swung it down. Haema avoided the blow effortlessly, her battle axe finding home in the undead's side in response. Fire bolts zoomed past her, hitting the two other Draugr courtesy of Alasse, keeping them at bay for the moment.

Swiftly coming out of her shock, Ty'ani wrenched out an arrow, stepping back a few times as she nocked it. Taking only a second to aim, she let it loose at the flaming Draugr on the right. The iron arrow found home in it's forehead, jerking it's head back with the force while the rest of the body followed, crumpling to it's back with a gurgle. It jerked a few times as lightning and ice continued to dart over it's body before coming still.

As Haema finished the one before her and moved on to the last, Ty'ani's ear twitched. She barely had time to react before she was backhanded. Unprepared, Ty'ani fell to the ground completely dazed. As she attempted to recover, her vision soon became filled with the gaunt face of the Draugr that had caught her by surprise. It reached for her neck, wrapping it's grotesque fingers around the fragile column, effortlessly lifting her torso off the ground as it growled at her.

" _Sovngarde saraan hi, joor._ " it hissed, it's words unintelligible to the Khajiit as she struggled in it's grasp, gasping for air. She scrambled at her thigh, wrapping her fingers around her dagger and wrenched it out of it's sheath. Her eyes had begun to roll into the back of their sockets when she jabbed blindly at the Draugr's arm, sticking the blade into it's non-existent flesh.

The wight hissed, but didn't release it's hold on her like she hoped. If anything, the grip tightened. White spots began to dance in her vision as darkness started to creep on the edges. It was at that point that Ty'ani was certain she was going to die.

However, a miracle happened. A lightning bolt slammed into the Draugr's side, forcing it off her completely. Ty'ani crashed back down to the ground hard, gasping and choking for breath. Another flash of light occurred through her closed eyelids as another lightning bolt cracked overhead, hitting the Draugr again. In the next second, heavy footfalls came before a shout sounded out followed by the sound of a sickening impact. After that, the Draugr let out one last growl before it fell silent.

Turning onto her side, Ty'ani continued to painfully cough as she got to her elbows and knees. Feeling a presence beside her, she looked up to see Alasse kneeling at her side. "Are you injured?" she asked as she placed a hand on her shoulder blades.

Coughing one last time, the Khajiit shook her head. Nodding, the Altmer gripped her arm, assisting her to stand. Rubbing her sore throat, Ty'ani knelt down to grab her bow and dagger, placing them back in the appropriate places on her body. Straightening, she glanced up at the high-elf with gratefulness. "Thank you." she croaked, grabbing her water-skin. "You saved my life."

As Ty'ani took a mouthful of water, Alasse nodded in reply. "It was my pleasure."

Swallowing the water, the Khajiit then turned to Haema as the Nord stepped over to them. "Thank you as well."

Haema smiled in response, placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. The Khajiit moved retrieved her arrow from the Draugr she shot, tugging harshly until it slipped out and she placed it back in her quiver. Before long, they were on the move again, pacing down toward the next hallway and being mindful of the pressure plate on the way. However from the corner of her eye, Ty'ani spotted something glittering. Following her thief's instincts, she turned to the source finding a worn leather satchel sitting below the impaled bandit. It had took quite the beating, with the stitching torn and the leather peeling. The lid hung loosely open, revealing part of the inside.

Well and truly curious now, Ty'ani paced over to the pack and knelt, pulling the lid open completely. Sitting inside was a golden trinket that was slightly larger then her hand, and shaped as a claw. She blinked, realising that this could be what the trader at Riverwood was talking about. The Golden Dragon Claw. She plucked it out as Haema's voice sounded out, calling her name.

Looking up, she spotted the Nord and Altmer standing not too far from her, looking back at her in confusion. She hefted the claw out of the satchel, surprised at the weight of it, and showed it to the two of them. "Look." she exclaimed. "It seems the thieves from Riverwood were much closer than first thought."

"How fortunate." Alasse exclaimed, stepping over to the Khajiit. "We will soon need this claw ourselves. It would need to be fitted into the Hall of Stories once we arrive there."

"Is that why the bandits were here?" Haema asked. "To use the claw to get to the centre chamber?"

"Yes." Alasse replied as she took the claw from Ty'ani and slipped it into her satchel. "Sadly though, they will not be earning the fruits of their labour."

Ty'ani, for a split second, was surprised that the claw fit so easily into Alasse's small satchel, as the claw was easily longer then the satchel itself. Realistically, the claw would be sticking out of the bag somewhat, but it actually completely disappeared, leaving no trace that it was within. Those pondering thoughts was dashed from her mind by Haema, as the Nord spoke once again. "Then we had better get moving. The sooner we get there, the better."

"I agree." Ty'ani said, withdrawing her bow yet again. "Let's move.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

They made slow progress through the crypt after that, killing everything that stood in their way. It took a long time, stopping only to rest and eat, but finally they arrived at the Hall of Stories that Alasse had mentioned. The stone door that blocked their way looked as though it hadn't been used in centuries, covered in dust and cobwebs. The only distinctive feature of the door was the three animals carved into the surface of rings. The top was a butterfly, the middle an owl and the bottom a bear.

Alasse stepped up to the door, procuring the golden claw as she did so. She looked at it's palm before turning the rings. Before long, the carvings were a bear on the top, a butterfly in the middle and an owl at the bottom. She then inserted it into the stone in the centre and turned it precisely. The door clicked, the top and middle rings turned to the same as the bottom, and the door began to slide slowly into the ground.

Walking through a long chamber, the three soon found themselves in an enormous cavern, alight with natural sunlight. At the very end was a raised platform, housing a large wall with Nordic patterns upon it and a coffin not too far from that. All around that was moss covered walls, coming into a dome high above their heads. The light itself was still bright but diminishing, as the sun began to set for the evening. It was a refreshing change from the dismal crypt they left in their wake.

Alasse quickened her pace, moving over the bridges and up the stairway toward the wall. She pulled out a thick leather bound book from her satchel as she did so, as well as procuring an inkwell and quill. Resting the book against one arm, she flipped the crisp pages to a blank one and began to scribble in it, looking up at the wall every so often as she did so.

Haema and Ty'ani caught up with her a moment later, watching the Altmer work. "What are you doing?" Haema asked.

"I am copying the text on this wall for later study." she briefly explained before returning to work, though it didn't take long for her to finish. She blew on the page to help the ink dry faster before closing the book, wiping the excess ink off the quill before leaving it in between the pages, putting it back in her satchel once done.

Haema and Ty'ani stepped up closer to the Altmer, gazing at the wall in interest. "What even is this thing for?" Ty'ani asked, studying the runes on its surface. "Is that some form of ancient Nordic?"

"No, it is the furthest thing from that." Alasse explained. "To my understanding, it is actually some form of language that is far older then the ancient Nords. From my research, I found that it could actually be..." as Alasse continued to talk, it seemed as though to Ty'ani her voice was being muffled. Something else was gripping hold of her consciousness, tearing her attention away from her companion's voice. She stared at the wall blankly as he ears pricked up, hearing the low murmur of voices. Her eyes soon lay upon one single word in the paragraph before her, as everything else in her vision darkened, narrowing her sight down so all she could pay attention to was the word.

As she stared, she saw the etching glow blue, the voices becoming louder with each beat of her heart. A shiver ran down her spine, like a shard of ice, the voices growing louder and louder until she was sure that there existed no other noise, that nothing else existed apart from this rune before her. Her chest tightened as she felt intense power radiating from the stone, feeling it in her consciousness, her bones, even in the very air she breathed.

The Khajiit could hardly move, a slave to the enriched forces as the chanting was soon cut off, her eyesight becoming dark. Before long, a single word echoed in her mind, foreign and unintelligible, reverberating through her entire being, resonating with the essence of one thing. Raw unstoppable might. Power in its purest form.

 _FUS_.

All at once, her senses returned to her as the energies holding her finally released her from its grasp. She gasped out loudly, stumbling back as if she had been pushed and fell to her knees. The concussive force of her conscience returning was far too much all at once and for a moment, blind panic gripped her before she realised that she was still in one piece.

Head hanging between her arms, the Khajiit panted, feeling the presence of her companions rush to her sides. "Ty'ani!" Haema yelled in alarm. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I-I don't-" she stammered back as she struggled to her feet. She leant her hands on her thighs as she attempted to slow her heart rate and her breathing.

All of a sudden, it seemed as though the whole cavern shook, beckoning the women's immediate attention. Alert, they glanced over at the sarcophagus as centuries worth of dust began to fly off it as something within began beating it. They unsheathed their weapons as the lid burst off, crashing down to the stone below them. From out of the coffin was another Draugr, though this one was clad head to toe with ancient steel. Ice blue eyes glared at them from under it's demonic horned helm, arming itself with a war axe and shield.

The first to react was Alasse, sending a volley of lightning bolts at the wight, causing it to stagger. Ty'ani notched an arrow, letting it fly as Haema charged, her battle axe poised. As she brought the axe down in a deadly arch, the Draugr lifted it's shield to block the attack, forcing Haema to stumble at the surprising strength. In response, the Draugr swung it's axe at her, which thankfully ricocheted off her shoulder guard. Although, the Nord did notice that some icicles formed on the impact zone. It didn't do any damage to her, but it did make the area cold. She knew then that the weapon was enchanted.

With it's back now to the Altmer and Khajiit, they both took advantage of that and let loose their own projectiles to it, each hit being successful. Haema recovered quickly and once again swung her axe around, keeping herself braced as the blade bounced off the shield again. This time though, the Draugr momentarily went off balance, though it was the arrow that embedded itself into the nape of it's neck that caused that.

Taking advantage of the opening, Haema lowered her aim, striking instead at the wight's lower leg. The attack was successful, forcing the creature to the floor. She followed through with the attack, pivoting with the momentum and buried the blade of her axe into it's chest. The undead creature gurgled a few times as Haema ripped out her weapon, crumpling to the floor after a second.

Panting heavily, Haema sheathed her axe. "Gods." she panted, bringing her attention back to the other two. She stepped up toward them, staring pointedly at Ty'ani. "Ty'ani, what was that back then? What happened to you?"

Ty'ani glanced between the two before her, completely unsure about what to say. "I..." she began at last. "I-I don't know. I just... I heard something, coming from that wall." she told them truthfully. "After that, well..."

She completely paused when she saw movement behind Haema. Eyes widening, she noticed that the Draugr they all thought was previously dead was getting back up. Jerking in alarm, she wrenched her bow back off her shoulder. "Haema! Behind you!"

The Nord and high-elf whirled around too, quickly seeing what Ty'ani was yelling about. Seeing the Draugr back on it's feet, the two immediately unsheathed their respective weapons, ready to take it on again. However, it then did something that none of them were expecting.

" _Fus, Ro DAH_!"

Ty'ani only caught a brief glimpse of a huge blue shock wave before it slammed into them. Completely unprepared, the three women were catapulted backwards, airborne for a few seconds. Before long, Haema and Ty'ani slammed into the Nordic wall, the Khajiit's impact much harder then the Nord's due to her lighter armour. Alasse was thrown off the platform completely, slamming hard into the mossy walls of the cavern. She fell a couple of feet, the wind knocking out of her as she hit the ground painfully.

All three were dazed, but the first one to recover was Haema, whose armour had protected her from most of the damage. Scrambling to her feet, she rose her battle axe as the undead charged at her, bashing it's shield with it's axe as it did so. Ty'ani meanwhile struggled to rise, as her head had impacted the wall hard, feeling a light trickle of blood run down her forehead. Her entire world was spinning as she struggled to get her knees under her.

Alasse meanwhile writhed painfully where she lay, her back flaring in white hot pain since she had tumbled into an incredibly rocky formation. Groaning, she forced herself to roll on her side and get up, though her head spun as a result. Shaky legs under her now, the Altmer leant heavily against a nearby rock, seeing through blurry vision the Nord's stand off with the Draugr. Breathing deeply, she summoned an aura of healing magic, using it to heal the worst of her wounds. With that done, she scowled.

This Draugr was proving to be far too powerful for them to take on conventionally. They needed to come up with another way to bring it down, and Alasse thought she might just have the thing to do it. Reaching into her satchel, she pulled out a rolled up scroll, swiftly unrolling it and reading the contents. Many years of reading and research had taught her to read quickly, so it took no time for her to memorise the spell on the parchment.

Dropping the paper, she muttered the magical words to activate the spell, her hands became alight with the crackling energy of a powerful Lightning Bolt spell. Gritting her teeth in determination, she charged the bolt between both her hands, the combination making the spell that much more powerful. "Let us end this." she snarled, allowing the lightning to charge up some more before calling out to Haema. "Haema, move!"

Hearing the high-elf's demand, Haema decided not to argue. With the wight's axe locked with her axe's shaft, she pushed it back with all her might before jumping out of any blast zone.

Now with a clear line of sight, Alasse let the lightning free, the thick bolt of electricity flying from her palms toward the Draugr in a dangerous show of light. An ear splitting crack sounded out as it hit the Draugr straight in the chest, the current flowing through it's body rapidly before it was blown off it's feet. It flew for a good few feet before it crashed into the opposite wall and tumbled to the ground, never to rise again.

"And stay down." Alasse hissed as the spell wore off. She rushed to rejoin her companions, seeing Ty'ani struggling to get up. Both she and Haema knelt by her side, the Altmer summoning her healing magic again, touching the warm aura to the Khajiit's head and healing the gash hidden under her hair line. Ty'ani sighed in relief as she was healed, but was slightly disappointed that her headache didn't disappear straight away.

Haema grabbed her water-skin and a spare cloth, tipping the pouch so some water was soaked up into the material. She began to dab it on Ty'ani's forehead, cleaning off the majority of the blood. Afterwards, there were still slightly faded smears of the sanguine substance, but at least it wasn't all that noticeable now.

"Thank you." Ty'ani said to both of them, accepting their assistance in standing. She wobbled slightly as she attempted to get her bearings, but she managed to keep her legs from buckling under her. Once steady, the three walked over to the coffin and glanced inside, seeing what looked like a flat grey rock. Knowing instantly that this was what they were looking for, Haema plucked the Dragonstone out of the sarcophagus, slipping it into her backpack.

Turning back to the other two women, Haema nodded. "We have what we came for, let's get out of here."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Ty'ani replied, the three of them ascending a set of stairs that lead to the back of the chamber. Finding a hidden alcove, they swiftly filed through and found themselves stepping out through a cave entrance and back out into the outside world. Ty'ani inhaled a deep satisfying breath, pleased to be out of the cloying crypt and back in fresh air. They climbed down the mountainside, finding themselves by the White River, following the current back toward Riverwood.

It didn't take them long before the village gates came into view, the sky turning midnight blue with a pink horizon as the sun finally sank. Dropping off the claw to the Riverwood Trader- whom was very happy that they found it, he paid them quite handsomely- the three retreated to the Sleeping Giant, looking forward to a warm meal and a good night's rest.

Sat at a table in the corner, Ty'ani watched as Alasse alternated between taking bites of her food and scribbling in her journal, the Dragonstone laying before her.

The stone itself was quite interesting, as it seemed to be what looked like an outline of Tamriel upon the surface. On closer inspection though, it actually turned out to be Skyrim. Several X's marked the map in random patterns, most likely spots of interest in the province.

After a moment of silently watching the Altmer work, Ty'ani's musing was interrupted by Haema's questioning tone. "Ty'ani?" eyes turning to the Nord, the Khajiit hummed as a sign that she was paying attention. "Per chance, would you care to tell us what exactly happened in that tomb?"

The girl frowned. "What? With the wall?" Haema nodded as an affirmative. Inhaling through her nose, Ty'ani sighed before she began. "I'm not entirely sure myself. I heard voices coming from the wall and when I looked at it, it was like the whole world was being swallowed up. All I could see was the words on the wall. After that, something came into my head. _Fus_."

Alasse looked up from her work, frowning at the Khajiit. "That sounds familiar." she exclaimed, her voice full of interest.

"I don't see how." Ty'ani retaliated. "I've no idea what that even means. It was the same at Snow Veil Sanctum. I came across one of those walls there and that one planted a word in my head too. _Zun_."

"Snow Veil Sanctum?" the high-elf questioned, dropping her quill into the inkwell. "But that place has been locked up tighter then a miser's purse. How did you get in?"

Ty'ani shrugged. "I had help then."

Seeing that the Khajitt wasn't going to elaborate, Alasse shrugged it off. Although, if Snow Veil Sanctum was open now, perhaps she could make a detour there before she returns to Winterhold. It could be that there are more to these word walls then she first anticipated.

Finishing off the last of her meal, Ty'ani leant back in her chair, regarding the two before her with a grateful look. "Anyway, thank you both for helping me. I'm not sure if I would have come out of there alive if you weren't with me."

"It was our pleasure Ty'ani." Haema replied with a smile. "And it has been a pleasure to travel with you. Know that should you ever need me again, you may call upon me and I would be honoured to travel with you."

"Indeed." Alasse said next, bringing her attention back to Ty'ani. "But know that once we return to Whiterun, I will not likely stay more then a few more days, as I will soon return to the College in Winterhold. But if you are in need of my services again, then you will find me there."

Hearing that, Ty'ani couldn't help but smile at that. This errand she was forced to go on may have been a waste of her time and detrimental to her health, but she was happy to say that she may have gained friends as a result of it.


	4. Dragon Rising

**4E 201  
23rd of Sun's Dusk  
**

The three women walked down the main thoroughfare of Whiterun's Plains District the following evening, having just arrived from Riverwood. The trip had been uneventful, coming across only the local wildlife and the occasional Imperial patrol party- of which they kept a wide berth of. It was just before the sun began to disappear behind the mountains that they left their horses in the stables before entering the city.

Adjusting her heavy backpack, Ty'ani let out a sigh, feeling spikes of muscle pain through her body from the journey. As she couldn't ride, she wasn't used to the inactivity she experienced while atop Valiant. Not only did she have to stay astride the huge and muscled stallion for so long, but she was also wedged in with Haema in the saddle. She was a little bow-legged and wobbly as the blood flowed back through her legs but it was something that she could ignore. For now anyway, no doubt she'll be stiff in the morning.

She trailed behind the Nord and Altmer as they entered the market square, seeing the store vendors packing away for the night. It was usually at this time that Ty'ani would take advantage of the organised mess and pilfer a few things, since most of the time people were far too busy to notice her slink by and swipe some small items and a few coins. Right now though, she was far too tired to care. Plus with the added company, it would raise questions she would rather not answer. So therefore, she continued on toward the Bannered Mare.

About to climb the stairs after her comrades, that was when something hard hit her in the shoulder. She jumped in surprise and yelled out in pain, instinctively gripping the affected area as she investigated the cause. Turning, she saw a sizeable rock roll away from her while a loud childish voice yelled out. "You cats aren't allowed here! Get back out into the wilds where you belong!"

Looking up, the Khajiit spotted a young Redguard girl scowling at her as she bent down to retrieve another rock. Ty'ani flinched at the child's words, shock overtaking as her exhausted mind came to a screeching halt, unable to think of what to say back to her. The abuse was nothing new of course, Ty'ani had far worse thrown at her, but for some reason having a child taunt and hate her was something that really bit deep.

Thankfully, just as the girl was about to throw her newly acquired rock, Haema stepped down from the Inn's entrance and waved the girl away. "That is enough, Braith! Away with you!" at the Nord woman's scorning tone, the girl dropped the rock and immediately fled up the stairs to the Wind District. Haema scowled after her, shaking her head in disapproval. "Disrespectful girl. If she was my child I would have tanned her hide a long time ago." she turned back to Ty'ani, a look of concern replacing the scorn in seconds. "Are you alright?"

Ty'ani just nodded, removing her hand from her shoulder to show the Nord there was no lasting damage. "It's no trouble." she reassured. "I've had worse."

Haema sighed. "That isn't fair. You should not be treated like that in the first place, none of your kind should."

Seeing Haema's exasperated expression, Ty'ani placed a hand on the woman's gauntlet. "Haema really, it's no trouble. I've grown used to it."

"Either way," Alasse commented, provoking the two to glance at her. "That sort of treatment is disgusting. _Nobody_ should be treated like that."

Ty'ani nodded, but couldn't help but wonder about Alasse's words as they entered the tavern. More specifically, the tone that she used. It sounded quiet venomous, even for the Altmer woman, as if she had personal experience of verbal abuse. Though it was in that same instance that Ty'ani figured out that Alasse was a high-elf, the same species as those in the Aldmeri Dominion. Of course she would receive abuse for her race alone. Sometimes with all the racism thrown at her, it was easy to forget that in these lands, just about anyone who isn't a Nord receives the same treatment.

Inside the tavern proper now, the three were beset with the loud voices of the patrons and the soft strumming of the bard's lute. Looking around, it was difficult to find an empty table, but thankfully there was one available in the corner at the far end. It was quite a ways from the fire and swathed in shadow, but it saved them from the rabble that crowded around the hearth. Navigating past the drunken people- rather awkwardly since they didn't want to catch them with their weapons- the three finally made it past.

Removing her backpack, bow and quiver, Ty'ani carefully placed them in the corner as she sank into her seat, unbuckling her fur cloak as she did so. Flinging the collar over the back of the seat, she watched Haema and Alasse get comfortable as well.

"Saadia! Wake up dear!" came the voice of the Inn's owner over the white noise. In response, the Redguard barmaid rushed over to them while carefully balancing a tray of tankards and bottles, expertly dodging some overly excited patrons on her way. She sidled up to their table, lowering the tray on its surface in offering.

As Haema took a bottle of ale, she spoke up. "You want a meal I'm assuming?"

The Nord woman smiled at the barmaid. "Just three bowls of beef stew please, Saadia."

Saadia nodded, turning to the Altmer and Khajiit. "You two want a drink?"

"A glass of spiced wine if you please." Alasse responded.

Ty'ani rung her hands together as Saadia turned her gaze to her next, obviously still shaken up from earlier and feeling quiet awkward as a result. "Erm... just water please."

Saadia cocked a brow at that but she shook her head, lifting the tray back up. "Coming right up." she informed them before departing for the kitchen.

The three of them settled down as the melody of the lute came to an end. As applause and cheers erupted from the crowd, the bard took a well deserved drink from her tankard, waiting a few seconds before starting anew. As she stummed the cords of her instrument, the crowd fell silent as they waited for the new song to begin.

"This is a favourite of mine." the bard announced. "One of the first songs I ever learnt and a legend we all know and love."

As she started to sing, the soft tones of her voice seemed to calm the patrons within the breakroom. It almost seemed as though time itself had slowed in response, as she began to sing _The Dragonborn Comes_. Reaching the chorus of the song, the assembled Nords joined in with her, drowning out the accompanied groans of the other species within.

Ty'ani listened to the song with a keen ear. She had heard it multiple times before and understood why the Nords hold the legend in such high regard, but for some reason she couldn't find herself to like it. Don't get her wrong, she thought it was a lovely melody, there was just something about it that rubbed her the wrong way.

Looking over to Haema, the Khajiit could see that she was enjoying listening to the song, therefore she let her be. On the other hand, Ty'ani caught Alasse rolling her eyes as she pulled out her journal, immediately opening the pages and grabbing her inkwell and quill. Feeling uncomfortable in the silence between them, Ty'ani nibbled her lower lip, patiently waiting for the song to end.

It was at that point that the empty chair to Ty'ani's left was pulled sharply back, the wooden legs scraping harshly against the stone floor. The Khajiit eyes snapped opened widely, her ears pressing against her skull, as a young woman plopped onto the seat.

"I know I'm not invited." the woman slurred. "But ya look as though your _lovin'_ this song as much as I." she tried to take a slurp from a half-filled tankard, but missed completely as the amber liquid cascaded down her chin and onto her bountiful bosom.

Blinking in surprise, Ty'ani's brain took a moment to register the appearance of the obviously drunk woman before her. "E-er..."

The woman leant back heavily in the seat. "Well... if ya seen the things I've seen." she explain, as more liquid escaped from the waving tankard. "An' lived as long as I... eh, I s'ppose three-hundred years ain't that long."

Thoroughly confused now, the only thing that came out of Ty'ani's mouth was: "I'm sorry?"

The woman finally turned to her, a confused frown on her face. "Why? Wot you done?"

"I... Well, I don't even know who you are." Ty'ani pointed out.

The baffled look increased in the woman's expression, attempting to draw herself to full height while still sitting. "Wot? Oh, ya musta heard of me, right? I'm Altwen, the famous huntress! The conqueror of virtue!" she rose the tankard to her lips, this time being successful in taking a mouthful. It was at that point that Ty'ani took the opportunity to speak.

"Who...?"

"Altwen! I'm the..." she then glanced at Ty'ani deeply, as though she had just realised that the young Khajiit was there. "Oh, you have such pretty eyes."

"I have... what?" Ty'ani stuttered.

It was at that point that the meals and drinks were finally brought over, the barmaid delivering the trayful to the table. Though there seemed to be an extra tankard, filled to the brim with sweet smelling mead. As Saadia turned to leave, the now empty tray under her arm, Altwen lunged forward and playfully backhanded the Redguard's behind. The barmaid let out a small shriek, pivoting sharply to glare at the woman who in turn was pointing at an unsuspecting man nearby. Snarling, Saadia delivered a quick slap to the poor man's face, a sharp thwack sounding out. Patrons nearby erupted into cheers and laughter as the barmaid stomped off, leaving behind a very confused male in her wake.

Alasse, watching the chaos playing before her, kept her silence, feeling only discontent. Suffice to say, she had seen this behaviour played out before with drunken males. Admittedly, this was the first time she had seen this display with a female, but regardless, she knew the outcome would be the same. The participants would shame themselves, dropping their self-esteem as each minute passed, ending either with a fist fight or the individual falling unconscious. Either way, she felt nothing but disgust toward this woman.

Having her attention torn away from the bard, Haema stared at the interloper that had intruded on them as she let out a boisterous laugh, which was directed toward the unfortunate male. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened in the warrior's time, but every time it did it irked her a little more each time.

Ty'ani on the other hand took the opportunity to thoroughly study this Altwen. It was strange that she didn't notice before, but the woman had a brown hood covering her head. She had the features of a Nord, with a strong jawline and full lips, but her skin had a bronze tint to it. Her eyes were the colour of the forest and a silk wrapping that encased deep red hair escaped the confines of the hood on the right side of her face. Her clothes though were quite unusual. Consisting of a brown studded bodice with an off-white shirt that in no way hid her well defined breasts, brown breeches and brown boots. The buckles all throughout the clothing were bright gold, contrasting against the dark colour. She didn't appear to be armed, but Ty'ani could venture a guess that there were a number of hidden weapons on her person.

The Khajiit flattened one ear, feeling quite uncomfortable with this woman next to her. "You're very odd, you know that?"

"Why thank you!" Altwen slurred with a wide smile. "I certainly am. I mean, who wants to be normal? Hey, I ever tell you ya got a sexy tail?"

Ty'ani spluttered in embarrassment, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth at the unexpected turn in the conversation. She glanced at her companions, pleading with her eyes for them to help her out. Thankfully, Alasse seemed to heed her plea as the Altmer closed her book slowly, casting a withering eye toward Altwen.

"Oh boy, I'm in trouble now." the red head said with sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Indeed." replied Alasse in a warning tone.

It was obvious that, in spite of the high-elf's acidic tone, Altwen really didn't seem to care as her grin became wider. She leant forward, banging her tankard on the table top. "What's with the hood then?"

Alasse blinked in surprise, quite put out at the sudden question. "I beg your pardon?" she delivered, her tone slow and disapproving.

Altwen leant further forward, resting her arms on the table as the tension rose between the two. "What's with the hood, Ice Queen?" she repeated, her tone loosing the playful edge.

Acid eyes narrowing, Alasse curled her lip in irritation. "I do hope you realise that..."

Alasse never had the chance to finish her sentence however, as the apparently drunk woman sprung up out of her seat. Before any of them could react appropriately, Alasse's hood had been removed and was now pooling over her shoulders, causing her auburn hair to fly free. The Altmer barely let out a gasp of shock before the red haired woman continued to lunge forward and delivered a sloppy kiss to her forehead. As Alasse recoiled, Altwen dropped back into her seat in a fit of hysterics. The Nords around her, whom had been watching the women closely- secretly hoping for a fight- burst into laughter much to Alasse's humiliation.

Haema, at this point, wasn't really sure whether to laugh or frown. Instead, she passed each person their forgotten drinks that had been sitting in the centre of the table, hoping that would defuse the situation. While she did that, the high-elf scrambled to fold her hood back over her head, her cheeks taking on a light pink tint.

Almost immediately, Altwen grabbed one of the drinks and took a quick swallow. "Ah! Damn, you are a woman after my own heart, Muscles. I thank you kindly."

"I wouldn't try." Haema warned while taking a small spoonful of her stew. "I am a married woman."

"Doesn't stop ya from havin' fun though." Altwen retaliated.

"It does when children are part of the equation."

Altwen let out a huff, slumping back. "You're no fun at all." she took another swig before she darted back up, as though she had a brilliant idea. "Oh wait, is it because men find you intimidatin'? Does your husband?"

Haema's eyes narrowed at that. "That is none of your concern. You are bordering on personal territory here and I don't much appreciate that."

"Ooh... sore spot?" the woman teased.

Becoming annoyed now, the large Nord woman leant forward, glaring at the other with icy eyes. "I will give you a sore spot if you keep this up."

"Ooh, feisty. That must make things interestin' in the bedroom."

Sighing, Haema rolled her eyes and returned to her meal as she replied. "Is there a reason you decided to intrude on us, or are you here just on principle?"

Altwen smirked. "I'm just here for a good time." she answered innocently and it would have been believable if she wasn't crowding in on Ty'ani, her voice dropping to a purr. "If you know what I mean."

Well and truly uncomfortable now, the Khajiit squirmed away and slipped out of her chair. "Ah, you know what, I think I'm going to turn in now. I have a busy day tomorrow." she exclaimed quickly, making a mad grab for her equipment. "Haema, could I have the Dragonstone please?"

"Yes, of course." the Nord replied, brandishing the heavy stone from her backpack. As Ty'ani took it, she yelped when Altwen tugged on her tail.

"Aw, I was just startin' to have fun." she whined as Ty'ani swiftly escaped from the corner, clearing her throat.

"Anyway, I don't know if I'll see either of you again, but thank you for all your help. I never would have made it out of there without either of you." she thanked them both.

Alasse, now having gotten over her shock, glanced up at Ty'ani with a small smile. "As I told you before, it was our pleasure. Your a skilled bow-woman and a survivor Ty'ani, you will do fine on your own I am sure."

"Aw," Altwen piped up, leaning her head heavily in her palm. "Don't tell me you lot are sayin' goodbye. I hate goodbyes."

Pointedly ignoring the woman, Alasse continued. "I wish you good fortune wherever you go, Ty'ani."

"As do I." Haema agreed. "Should you ever need me again, you'll find me at Jorrvaskr."

The Khajiit girl nodded, stepping away from the table and to the bar to ask for a room. After paying the tavern owner- though she swore that she paid more than was necessary- she swiftly went upstairs to find her room. Using the key to unlock the door, she stepped in and dropped the Dragonstone on the bedside table and her equipment on the floor. She could have brought her meal up with her, but right now she was too exhausted to care. Plus, she didn't want to deal with that Altwen again. So therefore, she stripped off her armour, dumping it on the floor too and pulled on her night shirt.

Laying in bed, it didn't take long for her to fall to sleep.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The next morning was a miserable one as rain fell from the sky, but Ty'ani still climbed the stairs to Dragonsreach, the Dragonstone hugged tightly against her chest. She didn't want to waste any more time than she had to, since she needed to get back to Riften and the Guild as quickly as possible. After all, she has to deal with an irate Imperial when she got back. Ty'ani may have completed the job, but she still got caught and Vex was not going to be happy about that.

Entering the palace, Ty'ani shook off her hood and swiftly moved to Farengar's corner, her muscles beginning to protest against holding the Dragonstone for so long. Stepping up to the doorway, Ty'ani stood just inside it as she found that Farengar had company. A woman garbed in leather armour and a hood over her head was leaning against the desk, studying a tome as the Nord mage spoke to her.

"You see. The terminology is clearly First Era or even earlier. I'm convinced this is a copy of a much older text." he explained eagerly. "Perhaps dating back to just after the Dragon War. If so, I could use this to cross-reference the names with other later texts."

"Good." the woman replied, standing upright to gaze at Farengar completely. "I'm glad your making progress. My employers are anxious to have some tangible answers." It was clear that the both of them were quite busy, so Ty'ani waited for one of them to notice her.

Farengar smiled brightly at her then. "Oh, have no fear. The Jarl himself has finally taken an interest, so I am now able to devote most of my time to this research."

"Time is running, Farengar, don't forget. This isn't some theoretical question. Dragons have come back."

Farengar nodded. "Yes, yes. Don't worry. Although the chance to see a living dragon up close would be tremendously valuable..." he moved to her side, now pulling out another tome and placing it on the table in front of her. "Now, let me show you something else I found... very intriguing... I think your employers may be interested as well..."

"You have a visitor." the woman interrupted, her gaze now fixed on Ty'ani standing in the doorway. The Khajiit stepped into the room as Farengar glanced up to her with a questioning hum. Though his expression brightened upon seeing her.

"Ah!" Farengar exclaimed excitedly, moving around the table to guide Ty'ani further inside. "Yes, the Jarl's protégée! Back from Bleak Falls Barrow? You didn't die it seems." once by the desk, Ty'ani hefted the heavy stone she was carrying onto the surface as carefully as she could, letting out a sigh of relief when the weight was taken off her arms. She then looked up at the mage.

"Well, there you go. That is what you wanted, wasn't it?"

Farengar's eyes lit up. "The Dagonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow! Seems you are a cut above the usual brute the Jarl sends my way."

Ty'ani stepped away from the desk, rubbing her sore muscles as she did so. "Okay, so what reward do I get from this? Aside from the obvious." she asked almost too eagerly. A ghost of a smile graced Farengar's face at her enquiry.

"You'll have to see the Jarl about that. Maybe his steward, Avenicci. I'm sure one of them will pay you appropriately." he turned his attention to the woman he was talking to previously, seeing that she was eyeing the two of them, as he continued to talk to the young Khajiit. "My... associate here will be pleased to see your handiwork. She discovered its location, by means she has so far declined to share with me." he turned his attention to the woman, beginning to address her. "So, your information was correct after all. And we have our friend here to thank for recovering it for us."

An impressed look slowly emerged on the woman's face as she studied Ty'ani. "You went into Bleak Falls Barrow and got that? Nice work."

Ty'ani smiled at the compliment. "Well, I didn't do it alone." she replied honestly.

"But still, well done. Not many people would brave a Nordic burial crypt." she turned her gaze back to Farengar. "Just send me a copy when you've deciphered it."

Just as Farengar was about to reply, a familiar voice suddenly shouted out his name. A moment later, the Jarl's Housecarl, Irileth, appeared in the doorway, looking quite stricken. "Farengar, you need to come at once. A dragon's been sighted nearby." she briefly glanced at Ty'ani as she continued. "You should come too."

"A dragon!" Farengar enthusiastically exclaimed, jogging out of the room, Ty'ani not far behind. "How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?"

"I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you. If a dragon decides to attack Whiterun, I don't know if we can stop it." Irileth signalled to the guard that had followed her and the four of them quickly made their way up to the second level. "Let's go."

As she followed behind, Ty'ani couldn't help but feel a sense of dread settle in her gut. A dragon, by the city? Oh she hoped that it wasn't the same as the one at Helgen. If that was the case, as soon as the Jarl's done with her, then she's getting out of here as fast as possible. Finally, they reached the top floor.

Ty'ani had only ever been to the top floor of Dragonsreach once, and that was when she had that bedlam job for the Thieves Guild. The main chamber was a large strategy room with multiple maps of Skyrim and documents of the war and other such business. A large set of double doors lead to the grand balcony at the back of the palace, with archways leading to balcony's overlooking the throne room opposite that. On the far side was a smaller set of double doors which lead to the Jarl's sleeping quarters. Jarl Balgruuf stood in the centre of the chamber, crossing his arms as he addressed the guardsmen that was with them.

"So, Irileth tells me you came from the Western Watchtower?"

"Yes my lord." the guard replied.

"Tell him what you told me." Irileth said. "About the dragon."

The guard shook his head, almost as if he didn't want to. "Uh... that's right. We saw it coming from the south. It was fast... faster than anything I've ever seen."

"What did it do?" Balgruuf asked hurriedly. "Is it attacking the watchtower?"

"No my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left. I never ran so fast in my life... I thought it would come after me for sure."

Balgruuf nodded, a grim look on his face as he patted the guard's shoulder. "Good work, son. We'll take it from here. Head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it." as the guard went to do so, Balgruuf turned his attention to his Housecarl. "Irileth, you'd better gather some guardsmen and get down there."

Irileth nodded. "I've already ordered my men to muster near the main gate." she replied confidently.

"Good. Don't fail me." he then glanced at Ty'ani, who stood next to Farengar. "There's no time to stand on ceremony, my friend. I need your help again. I want you to go with Irileth and help her fight this dragon."

Ty'ani started when she heard that, almost panicking. Surely the Jarl cannot be serious. "But," she squeaked. "I've already done one job for you. I don't even know _how_ to fight dragons!"

"And neither do we. I am asking you because you survived Helgen, so you have more experience with dragons then anyone else here. But I haven't forgotten the service you did for me in retrieving the Dragonstone for Farengar. As a token of my esteem, you have been formally pardoned and permitted to freely enter the city whenever you wish."

Ty'ani nodded, still feeling cheated. How could the Jarl do this to her? Had she not risked her life enough as it is? Who cares if she's got more experience with dragons, that didn't mean she knew how to beat them. She was soon snapped from her thoughts as Farengar stepped forward. "I should come along. I would very much like to see this dragon."

Balgruuf frowned at this request, shaking his head. "No. I can't afford to risk both of you. I need you here working on ways to defend the city against these dragons."

While Farengar looked disappointed, there was some truth to Balgruuf's words. He was the only one in the city who knew the most about dragons. If he were to be killed, the city would be defenceless without his knowledge. "As you command."

As he made his way back down the stairs, Ty'ani heard the Jarl speak to Irileth once again. "One last thing, Irileth. This isn't a death or glory mission, I need to know what we're dealing with."

The Houscarl nodded at that. "Don't worry m'lord, I'm the very soul of caution." She turned around, locking gazes with Ty'ani and gestured to her to follow. Letting out a sigh, the Khajiit obeyed.

As they exited the palace and jogged down the stairs, Irileth spoke up. "I don't know why the Jarl would place his trust in you, thief, but know that your knowledge on these dragons will be detrimental. Do not disappoint."

Ty'ani frowned, about to reply with a biting remark, but that was until she spotted a familiar figure jogging toward them, followed by a familiar voice. "Housecarl!"

Pausing in their stride, Irileth and Ty'ani turned as one, seeing Haema coming toward them from Jorrvaskr. She was fully armoured and armed, wearing a grim expression on her face. Stopping before the Dunmer, she spoke. "Are the rumours true? Is there a dragon near the city?"

Irileth frowned at the tall Nord woman, but nodded none the less. "I'm not sure how you came to hear that, but yes the rumours are true."

"Then I wish to accompany your men in bringing it down. It is my sole duty to protect my home after all." it was then that Haema happened to glance over Irileth's shoulder, seeing the small Khajiit behind her. Her eyes widened in surprise, though Irileth caught her attention once again.

"I will be more then happy to accept your help, Harbinger." she said, inclining her head. "My men are already at the main gate, we must make haste." at that, the Housecarl began to run again, this time with both Ty'ani and Haema behind her.

The Nord woman glanced at the Khajiit, a confused frown on her face. "Why are you here Ty'ani? You're about to go off and fight a dragon."

"I know." the girl replied, feeling her spirit drop a little more. "But I don't have much choice. Needless to say, I haven't exactly been very honest with you. I'll tell you about it if I survive this battle."

Haema was about to reply, maybe even inquire as to what she meant, but that was when they reached the main gate. Spotting a group of guardsmen waiting outside the barracks, the two intermingled with them as Irileth addressed them.

"Here's the situation." she said as she marched back and forth in front of the assembled warriors. "A dragon is attacking the Western Watchtower."

Shocked and fearful expressions crossed the men's faces, each voicing out their disbelief.

"You heard right!" Irileth continued when they quietened. "I said a dragon! I don't much care where it came from or who sent it. What I do know is that it's made the mistake of attacking Whiterun!"

"But Housecarl..." one of the guardsmen stuttered, gaining Irileth's attention. "How can we fight a dragon?"

Irileth closed her eyes before continuing to pace. "That's a fair question. None of us has ever seen a dragon before, or expected to face one in battle. But we are honour bound to fight it, even if we fail. This dragon is threatening our homes... our families." she paused as she crossed her arms, a look of determination crossing her face. "Could you call yourselves Nords if you ran from this monster? Are you going to let me face this thing alone?"

The guards straightened as they replied that they wouldn't. One lowered his head, muttering that they were doomed. Irileth continued.

"But it's more then our honour at stake here. Think of it- the first dragon seen in Skyrim since the last age. The glory of killing it is ours, if your with me! So what do you say? Shall we go kill us a dragon!"

The guards raised their fists in the air, yelling out in agreement, their courage now increased tenfold. Ty'ani had to say that she was impressed with Irileth's little speech. She had a certain fire about her that made her more a Nord then a Dunmer. She still had reservations on doing this, but had to admit that her spirits had been lifted slightly. She felt she was ready to do this.

"Lets move out."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The tower was a complete mess. Fallen braziers burned the ground around the area, thick smoke rising to the heavens as the small band of soldiers approached. Rubble littered the foot of the tower, corpses of guards strewn around, laying prone amongst the destruction. Ty'ani's sensitive nose picked up the distinctive scent of death and that caused her to shiver, a cold stone dropping in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around herself, both because she was uneasy and to protect herself from the chilly rain.

Haema noticed Ty'ani's discomfort and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze of reassurance. The young Khajiit peeked round her hood, looking at the tall woman and flashed an uneasy smile at her.

Irileth frowned as she too took in the destruction, rising her hand above her brow to block out the rain. "No sign of any dragon right now, but it sure looks like he's been here." She turned to the assembled group, seeing the uneasiness on their faces. "I know it looks bad," she reassured. "But we've got to figure out what happened. And if that dragon is still skulking around somewhere." she drew her sword, signalling the others to do the same. "Spread out and look for survivors. We need to know what we're dealing with."

The group fanned out, covering all corners of the tower. Haema and a couple of guardsmen searched the bodies for signs of life, while Irileth and the rest of the guards searched the perimeter and the sky.

Ty'ani on the other hand approached the tower entrance, her bow drawn as she scanned the area. She was in awe. How could one dragon cause all of this and not alert the city in the same instance? She had heard nothing at all. In fact, she was actually surprised that the tower itself was still in considerably good shape. As she searched around some more, Ty'ani's sharp eyesight caught something foreign among the rubble nearby, surmising that it was a man's arm. Feeling hopeful, she rushed over to investigate.

Peering over the rocks, she gasped and froze in terror when she saw the body. The top half of the body was relatively unharmed, but everything else was gone. From this angle, the Khajiit could clearly see the bloody and ragged flesh, the corpses intestines spilling out gruesomely. The sight was far too much for Ty'ani to handle, as she promptly pivoted away from the sight and doubled over, emptying the contents of her stomach.

Wiping her mouth and gagging at the after taste, Ty'ani fled from the sight, moving now to the ramp that lead to the tower entrance. She rose a hand over her eyes to block out the rain, trying to see if there was someone, _anyone_ , still alive.

It was then that she saw movement originating from the doorway into the tower. Hopeful, she rushed up the ramp and looked past the doorway, relief filling her when she saw a battered and bloodstained guardsmen. His already pale skin was now white in terror and shock. The Khajiit rushed up to his side, attempting to coax him out of the tower. "Hey, it's alright." she said softly. "You're safe now..."

"No!" he yelled, making a desperate grab for her cloak, trying to push her away. "Get back! It's still here somewhere. Hroki and Tor just got grabbed when they tried to make a run for it!"

"Guardsmen." came the voice of Irileth, her tone full of surprise as if she never expected to find a survivor. "What happened here? Where's this dragon? Quickly now!"

Ty'ani found that the dark-elf was being a little unfair to this obviously scared man, as he was traumatised enough. Regardless, he turned his fearful eyes to the Housecarl, shaking his head as his voice trembled. "I don't know!" it was then that an echoing roar sounded from over the mountains, carrying through the winds like a thunderclap. The guard panicked. "Kynareth save us, here he comes again..."

A fearful chill ran down Ty'ani's spine as another roar sounded out. It didn't take long before the beast itself broke through the screen of rain, it's form silhouetted against the grey clouds. Irileth snarled, tightening her grip on her sword, summoning a lightning spell in her other hand. "Here he comes! Find cover and make every arrow count!"

As it hurtled closer, Ty'ani immediately observed that this one was much different then the one at Helgen. It was much smaller, lacking the spines running down it's back and seem less imposing with it's brown scales, but that didn't mean it wasn't intimidating. She shivered in fear, her feet rooted on the spot as the company braced themselves. As the dragon banked round the tower, it let out a spine chilling roar in challenge, to which a war horn sounded out in reply.

In the next instant, the tower became a battle ground. The guards scrambled to cover, drawing bows and releasing arrows at the legendary creature, all flying harmlessly passed as the dragon soared over at breakneck speed. As it flew back around the tower, it slowed itself down as it glared at the soldiers below it. From the tower entrance, Ty'ani watched, almost in slow motion, as the dragon inhaled a deep breath. In the next second, she swore she heard it say something, but that thought was dashed from her mind in an instant, as a jet of flame burst from it's open maw.

The scream of the guard caught in the blast assaulted Ty'ani's ears, causing bile to rise up her throat once more as he was incinerated. The Khajiit stared at the dragon, panic overflowing her system. There seemed to be no weaknesses on it, as the arrows that scoured a hit either didn't bother the dragon at all, or they just bounced off it's scales. This is impossible. It had already killed one of their number and they haven't even put a dent in it.

With that in mind, Ty'ani finally gained control of her limbs, though she used them to flee inside the tower.

Haema growled as the beast began to move again, feeling utterly useless with only her battle axe. With it in the air, she couldn't help the guards, as she had no magical talent and no skills with a bow. She kept herself close to the guardsmen though, willing to put herself between them and the dragon should it ever land. At the moment it seemed the beast had no intention of doing that, at least not on the ground. Using it's claws, the dragon clung to the tower, bending it's elongated neck to spout another volley of flame at the people below it.

Inside the tower, Ty'ani- being on her hands and knees- felt a flare of dread when the tower shook slightly, fearing that it would collapse on top of her. Thankfully, Nords knew how to build their structures as the tower held. She sighed in relief, but it was a reminder of what was still outside. What she had left her friend to face.

That thought was sobering. Ty'ani knew that she couldn't leave her companion, or the guards for that matter, to that beast's mercy. Not only that, if they couldn't stop it then Whiterun could be next and what happened to Helgen will most definitely happen there. With that in mind, she attempt to get her feet back under her, but unfortunately with the fear still coursing through her system, her limbs refused to obey her.

Back outside, the dragon was circling them again. The guards tried their best to bring it down, but whatever arrows that hit left no lasting impact. Not even Irileth's lightning spells effected it.

Haema cursed, but that was turned to a shout of shock as the dragon soared over toward her. She dived to the side, the creature's tail barely missing her as she crashed to the muddy ground. She scrambled back to her feet, turning just in time to see the dragon bank and come down for a landing. Right in front of her.

Meanwhile, Ty'ani was still trying to force herself to move but with her limbs still shaking with fear, it was difficult to convince herself.

"Come on." she hissed to herself. "Come on, move." she heard a loud thud coming from outside, figuring out that the dragon had decided to land. This was her chance to act, but she had to convince herself first. "Come on, people are depending on you out there. They need you. Whiterun will become Helgen if you don't do something. Come on Ty'ani, MOVE!"

At last, it seemed that she has finally got control of her limbs, as she snapped to her feet faster then she could comprehend. Now standing, her mind begun to race. The last thing she wanted to do was charge out there and get herself killed without bringing harm to the dragon. It would be nothing like shooting a bear from a distance, as one single arrow would not bring it down, even if she caught it by surprise. No, she had to be smart about this. "Think Ty'ani. The dragon is strongest in the air. It can both avoid our efforts and attack us at the same time. Maybe if I can cripple it's wings, bring it to the ground and take away that advantage, then it would be easier to kill it." she glanced up to the stairs that lead to the top of the tower, an idea forming in her mind. "I just need to get it's attention."

Outside, Haema stumbled as the dragon landed, it's weight making the earth tremor which made her and a few nearby guards go off balance. A thing that it took advantage of, snapping it's jaws at the Nord woman. Though she saw the attack and threw herself back, allowing the teeth to snap at open air. She retaliated by swinging her battle axe at it's snout with a shout.

Surprised by her response, the dragon's head jerked to the side from the power, clearly shocked and impressed at this mortal's ferocity. The other mortals, seeing that he was on the ground, joined the fray. Most kept their distance and just shot at him with their annoying arrows, but others charged at him with swords. Baring his teeth, he rose up with an almighty roar, spreading his impressive wings before whipping them forward which sent a powerful gust of wind at the attackers.

Completely unprepared for that, the soldiers were blown back. The only one to stand her ground was Haema, though even she had been surprised by the defence as well as she stumbled back a few paces. The dragon, seeing that she was the more powerful of it's foes, began to lumber toward her.

Ty'ani finally made it to the top of the tower, feeling the rain pelting her body. The winds were more harsh up here and it blew her hood off her head, but she paid no mind to that as she ran to the edge. Even through the rain, she spotted the dragon far below her, engaging the soldiers head on. She watched as it snapped it's wings at them, sending them all to the ground. The only one to stand was Haema, but even she was stunned. That didn't stop the dragon from engaging her.

Ty'ani watched in horror as it snapped for her, it's teeth barely missing as she allowed herself to fall back, swinging her axe at the same time. The dragon reared, but as she landed on her back, it struck again. It's jaws locked around the Nord's form, bringing her up in it's mouth.

Panicking and fearing for her friend's life, Ty'ani wrenched an arrow out of her quiver, hopping up onto the railing as she fired, yelling at the top of her lungs. "RELEASE HER FOUL CREATURE!"

Even at this distance and with her vision impaired by the storm, the arrow still struck true, burying into the dragon's neck. She was lucky that it was a broad-head she happened to grab, as the dragon let out a shocked roar, dropping the Nordic warrior. Ice and sparks formed around the arrow, zigzagging it's whole form dealing it additional damage due to the Nightingale bow. It's attention had definitely been caught, as it turned it's head to her direction as she fired two more at it. The next thing she knew, it spread it's wings again, whipping them down and bringing itself back into the air.

Ty'ani stood her ground for the time being, continuing to shoot at it, but as it flew closer she felt her courage flee. Sapphire eyes widening, she jumped back on the tower with a fearful scream as it propelled itself above it, the snap of it's wings like a thunderclap in her ears. She took a few stumbling steps, her balance compromised so she used her hands to assist in her get away. However, she completely lost her footing as the tower shook, the dragon having heavily perched itself on the edge.

Ty'ani turned onto her back, screaming in terror as the dragon struck for her. She rolled to the side, it's jaws crashing into the stone, leaving behind an impressive hole. She rolled again, it's jaws once again missing her. Hearing it growl, she shrieked in fear when a giant clawed and winged appendage flattened down over her, pinning her upper body to the unforgiving stone below. Once again, panic bloomed through her veins, wriggling her body in a fruitless effort to get free, her boots scrambling to gain purchase on the wet stone beneath her.

The dragon growled above her, smoke puffing out it's nostrils as it lowered it's head to her. Her form trembled, seeing that her nightmares had finally taken flesh. She began to hyperventilate, continuing to struggle in it's hold, trying with all her might to free herself. However, she discovered that her left hand was free. In her state, she never noticed that before but now that she had that knowledge, she reached for her dagger.

When her fingers wrapped round its shaft, she jerked in surprise when the dragon spoke, drawing her sapphire eyes to it's face. " _Hi krif pruzah. Nuz Zu'u los krongrahkei, ahrk hi fen grind dii drog ko Sovrngarde_."

She didn't understand a word it said, but she didn't care either way as she jerked her dagger from its sheath. "You will not take another life!" she screamed at it before stabbing the ebony blade into it's flesh.

The dragon roared in pain, as the place she happened to stab it was in the fleshy areas between it's clawed fingers. She wrenched the dagger out just as it released it's hold on her and she scrambled to her feet, using the time she had to grab her bow. However with her back turned, it gave the dragon the time it needed to bite for her.

Just as the Khajiit had hold of her bow, it was then that she was lifted off her feet. She shrieked as she was lifted by her backpack and shook around like a ragdoll. Following her instincts, Ty'ani straightened her arms and brought them above her head, allowing the straps of her backpack to slip from her shoulders and letting her slide free. But even though one arm was freed, the other got caught as she was flung around. Her arm was harshly jarred, but she never got the chance to do anything before she was released. Luckily for her, the dragon was just beginning another swing and as a result, she was flung into the tower wall. Her bow on the other hand was catapulted over the edge.

Amazingly though, she still had her dagger in a white knuckled fist. Therefore, she used that to her advantage. As the dragon flung her backpack into a corner, she sprinted toward it. Using her forward momentum she slid the rest of the way, using the wet stone to assist her. Now under the dragon's head, she swiped her dagger at the soft area under it's jaw. The dragon once again roared in pain as blood flowed from it's wound. As a result, it didn't have time to react as Ty'ani pivoted back to her feet and pounced on it's neck.

Feeling the mortal upon it, the dragon let out a rumble of rage, which turned pained when she stabbed her dagger into the divides between it's scales. Wounded and humiliated, it spread it's wings once again, purposely falling from the tower before catching the wind and took to the air again, this time with Ty'ani in tow.

As that was happening, the warriors recovered and were about to run up the tower to help the Khajiit but as they did so, the dragon took to the air again. Haema, who was bleeding but was still on her feet, rose her battle axe in preparation.

However, it surprised them when they noticed the dragon bucking and making sharp turns. It almost looked as if the thing was trying to shake something off. Either way, as it flew overhead, the soldiers prepared themselves for an onslaught.

But yet again, they became surprised when the dragon didn't even pay them any mind. It just flew over them, still continuing to buck off whatever was on it. That became clear to them at the same instant, as they heard over the fall of the rain a loud and shrill scream.

Ty'ani held on to the dragon's back spine for dear life, completely terrified beyond compare. She knew that a fall from this height would most definitely kill her and that was what scared her, but she also knew that she couldn't just stay there frozen. This was her one chance to get the dragon to land and if she wasted this, she would die anyway. With that in mind, she wrenched her dagger from it's neck, earning a pained growl and before the dragon could glean on what she was doing, she stabbed it into it's wing joint.

An ear splitting shriek cut through the air, the dragon's flight having been compromised by her attack. It bucked once again, though this time the sharp movement effectively forced her to loose her grip, sending her into the air momentarily. She screamed, rolling along the dragon's wing, feeling her fear reach its crescendo. Her instincts took over completely, survival being the only thing in the forefront of her mind as she stabbed in the general direction of the dragon's wing.

The blade struck true, burying into the membrane. With her weight against it, as well as the speed the dragon was travelling at, it ripped an impressive gash through the wing, spouting blood everywhere. A deafening roar was let loose, the dragon being in obvious pain and began to completely loose control of it's flight. Before either it or Ty'ani knew, it landed ungracefully, sending her flying and crashing on the muddy ground.

The soldiers didn't waste any time after that, charging the beast with bravado and weapons poised. The creature barely had time to react when a battle axe found it's way across it's muzzle, courtesy of Haema. Unprepared, the dragon's head reeled to the side, a large bloody gash now crossed it's snout. A guard brought his axe down on the dragon's damaged wing, the hit being successful. However, despite the membrane being damaged beyond repair, the dragon still thrust it out, swiping the soldier off his feet.

Two of the guards came at it from the other side, attacking it's flank. One landed a hit on the joint, where the paw turned to the wing, while the other went for it's hide. The same result happened to one of them as what happened to the first guard: the wing struck out and they went flying.

The dragon then, having sensed more coming at him from the back, swung his tail. The large appendage swatted the mortals away like flies. He then swept his head toward the powerful female Nord, knocking her aside as well, but that was when movement right before him beckoned his attention. It was the Khajiit. Snarling he advanced on her.

Ty'ani had just turned onto her back, her hand above her to block the rain. Even with that impairing her vision, she still saw the shadow that fell over her. She screamed when the dragon came in full clarity, it's jaws open and advancing on her. With no one to help her, Ty'ani had to defend herself, but her only defence was her dagger.

However, in that one split second as the dragon advanced, she knew what she needed to do. Following her gut instinct, she thrust the dagger up just as the large maw surrounded her. Her strike was true, the blade burying in the unprotected flesh of the dragon's upper mouth. She folded her ears back, squeezing her eyes closed and gritted her teeth as it let out a ear-splitting scream, hot breath washing over her, making her gag. Blood and saliva cascaded down on her, making her stomach roil as she wrenched out the dagger and, in the same instant, rolled to the side. Jumping to her feet, she pounced on the dragon's neck yet again.

With it thoroughly distracted, it was her chance to cause more damage to it. Raising her dagger again, she brought it down viciously, burying it to the hilt in it's eye.

She held on as the dragon bucked up, another scream shaking the earth. Through the sound, she swore she heard something else. " _Dovahkiin!_ No!" 

Seeing her chance as she pulled herself to her feet, Haema charged forward, rushing to it's front. With it's neck exposed, she had the opportunity to deal the final blow. She brought her axe behind herself for a sidewards swipe, swinging it with all her might with a loud roar of her own, effectively burying the blade into the dragon's throat. A shocked gargle interrupted the scream, blood flying from the wound in an endless river, covering the Nord. She wrenched out the axe, jumping out of the way as the dragon landed heavily down. Ty'ani was thrown forward from the motion with a yell, though she rolled on the ground which cushioned her fall, skidding to her knees and pivoting around in the same movement.

Looking at the beast, the Khajiit could clearly see it twitching still. By Gods, the thing was still alive! Scowling, she rose to her feet, holding her dagger in a backward hold. Standing before it, she panted as she glared at it, seeing it's amber eye glancing at her. There was no rage, no sense of defeat. In fact, unless she was mistaken, she only saw peace in that gaze. Regardless though, she knew that it still needed to die. Not only to keep it from suffering, but also to ensure that Whiterun will be safe.

With that in mind, she gripped her dagger with both hands and brought it above her head- spying momentarily that the dragon had closed it's eyes, resigning to it's fate- and brought it down. The ebony blade disappeared through the tough scales of it's forehead, burying into it's brain. The dragon jerked a few times, but it didn't take long before the body went limp. The dragon was dead.

Ripping out the dagger, that was when something inexplicable happened. The dragon began to burn, flames appearing randomly across it's body for absolutely no reason. The guards, Irileth and Haema stepped back in shock. "What's happening?" one of the men asked in bewilderment.

"Everybody, get back!" Irileth commanded. They all followed her orders, as there was no telling what this strange phenomenon was.

However, Ty'ani found that she couldn't move. She tried with all her willpower to force herself to run, but it was like she was mentally shouting at a stone wall as her body stayed fixed on the spot. All she could do was watch the dragon's corpse melt before her eyes. Anything organic was consumed by the flame, leaving behind only the bones, the fire floating into the air like particles of dust.

It was then that Ty'ani felt her conscience being pushed to the side, just like what happened to her at the Barrow. Against her will, her mind was opened, as if it was preparing to accept something. As the fire thinned out, transforming into strands of light, Ty'ani soon found out why her mind was doing that. The light shot forward, wrapping around and into her. Ty'ani's limbs went rigid, her head snapping back and her arms spread out, as if she were being crucified. Her vision darkened, feeling only the intense power flowing into her and coursing through her veins.

It was then that she heard a roar. It sounded in perfect clarity in her ears, and yet it was also muffled at the same time. It was a weird sensation as it echoed through her mind, though it didn't take long before that dispersed, being replaced with a word. One that her entire conscience told her, _commanded_ her, to shout to the heavens.

Finding that she couldn't control it, Ty'ani shouted as her senses returned to her in a rush. " _FUS_!"

With her sight and other senses returned, Ty'ani saw that a blue shock wave was hurtling toward the sky, pushing away the rain as it travelled, temporarily making a sheltered spot. Ty'ani then stepped back, collapsing to her hands and knees and panted, as if she had just run the length of Skyrim with no breaks. Small tremors travelled her body as she attempted to recover from the... _violating_ experience. Before long Ty'ani regain her footing, her mind going a mile a minute as she attempted to figure out what just happened.

Staring at the dragon's bones in shock, she turned when she saw movement in her peripherals, spotting the guards and Haema. All of their mouths were hanging open in shock, eyes wide in disbelief as they stared at her. She squirmed uncomfortably under their gaze, feeling as if she were being judged.

Then one of the guards took a cautious step toward her, his eyes looking her up and down before speaking. "I can't believe it! You're... Dragonborn!"

Ty'ani blinked at that, taking a step back as she processed what she was just told. "I-I'm what? What do you mean?"

The same guard answered her question, still staring at her in awe. "In the very oldest tales, back from when there were still dragons in Skyrim, the Dragonborn would slay dragons and steal their power. That's what you did, isn't it? Absorb the dragon's power?"

Ty'ani shook her head, holding her hands up. "I-I don't know what happened to me."

The guard smiled at her flustered answer. "Well, you've already shouted. That's proof enough to me."

"Hold on." said another guard as he stepped forward. "Dragonborn? What are you talking about."

"That's right," a third guard exclaimed. "My grandfather used to tell stories of the Dragonborn. Those born with the Dragon Blood in them. Like Tiber Septim himself."

The second guard that spoke looked to the third, disbelief in his expression. "I never heard of Tiber Septim killing any dragons."

"There weren't any dragons then, idiot." the first guard snapped. "They're just coming back now for the first time in... forever."

The third guard then glanced at Ty'ani, a grin on his face. "But the old tales tell of the Dragonborn who could kill dragons and steal their power. You must be one!"

The second guard then crossed his arms, glancing over at Ty'ani. "You're out of your minds. Your telling us that this... _Khajiit_ of all things is the Dragonborn? The hero of _Nordic_ legends?"

"Yes, that's precisely what I'm saying."

Ty'ani could barely comprehend what was being said. She was utterly speechless as she glanced between each of the men before her, her words leaving her completely. She looked then to her companion, seeing that she was just as speechless. The Khajiit gazed pleadingly at Haema. "Haema, I-I don't... please tell me this isn't true."

The Nord woman cast her eyes down, pursing her lips as she sighed through her nose. "I'm not sure what you want me to say, Ty'ani. We all saw what happened, the evidence is right in front of us." she explained, gesturing to the dragon bones.

The last guard, whom Ty'ani had found in the watchtower, turned to the quiet Dunmer Housecarl. "What do you say, Irileth? Your being awfully quiet."

All the attention was then diverted to the woman in question, who just pointedly stared at the one who put her in the spotlight. The guards looked to her impatiently, waiting for her comment. "Come on Irileth, tell us, do you believe in this Dragonborn business?"

The Housecarl crossed her arms, huffing. "Humph, some of you would be better off keeping quiet then flapping your gums on matters you don't know anything about." she turned her gaze to the large corpse before them, gesturing to it. "Here's a dead dragon, and that's something I definitely understand. Now we know we can kill them. But I don't need no mythical Dragonborn. Someone who can put down a dragon is more than enough for me."

The first guard shook his head. "You wouldn't understand, Housecarl. You ain't a Nord."

Irileth frowned. "I've been all across Tamriel. I've seen plenty of things just as outlandish as this. I'd advise you all to trust in the strength of your sword arm over tales and legends."

It was at that point that Ty'ani couldn't take it any more. As the guards spoke with Irileth, she walked away, feeling incredibly withdrawn. What had happened in the span of the last five minutes, it was far too much for her, so she retreated back to the tower. Climbing the stairs and reaching the top, Ty'ani wrapped her arms under her petite breasts, her long tail curling around her leg. She shivered, both from the rain soaking her thoroughly and from the memory of the events earlier.

She heard what the guards had said between the lines, she knew what they expected from her. Now that their legendary hero was here, she was expected to be just that. Not only that, but she also heard the discontent in their tones. By the Gods, why is it when things seem to be looking up, the fates seem to throw something else at her? She doesn't want to be a hero, she doesn't want to be the Dragonborn. All she wants is to return to the shadows, be forgotten by the people and never be seen, that's how it's always been for her. Until she came here that is.

Squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to prevent her tears, it was when her ears twitched toward a noise behind her. Over the rain was sets of footsteps ascending the tower steps. Turning, she saw Haema looking at her with concern.

The Nord woman stepped up to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" she simply asked.

Turning away, Ty'ani glanced to the horizon, or more specifically towards Whiterun. She shook her head in negative. "No. No I'm not." she answered. "I saw the look on their faces Haema. They expect me to be their hero and they hate me for it. Here I am, a Khajiit who is their Dragonborn. I just..." her voice cracked then, her head lowering.

She felt Haema lightly squeeze her shoulder. "No one said you needed to be." she sighed then, walking into Ty'ani's peripherals. "Look Ty'ani, I really don't know what to say to comfort you. What happened down there, none of us expected it."

The Khajiit girl bit her lip, her spirit dropping with each second that ticked by. She jerked her head to the side when something entered her vision. She saw that it was her bow, the black and silver weapon was slightly dirty, but it was still in good shape. Looking round some more, she saw that it was Haema that had hold of it. She gave her a small smile as she offered it up. "Found this on my way up, figured you'd want it back."

Ty'ani let loose a tiny smile of her own, graciously taking her weapon from her. Looking round some more, she spotted her backpack a few paces away, seeing that it was a little tattered now. She'll need to get a new one when they got back. Sighing, she paced toward it, lifting it off the ground and shrugging it back on her shoulders, looping her bow over afterwards.

"We'd better return to Whiterun." Haema said quietly. "Irileth said she will remain here to help with the clean up, and the Jarl will want to know of what happened."

The Khajiit girl just nodded, following the Nord down the tower and on the road toward the city. On their way back though, that's when something else happened.

A low rumbling echoed through the air, causing the ground to shake. The two paused in their step, stumbling from the unexpected turn. Citizens looked out windows and doors, gazing around with worry. Suddenly, a thundering crack exploded from seemingly nowhere, like Akatosh himself was communicating with the earth.

From amidst the chaos, a word was heard. A word that caused all to turn their gazes to the sky.

 _DOVAHKIIN._

After a final rumble, all went silent, the only sound to be heard was the still falling rain. In that time, no one dared to move but before long, disbelieving and excited chatter filled the air as the citizens discussed what had just happened. Ty'ani blinked, quite bewildered about the event. "What was that?" she questioned.

Haema had turned her eyes to the east, looking to the the mountain that was barely visible through the rain. "By Gods. I think that may have been the Greybeards."

"The Greybeards?" Ty'ani echoed, thoroughly confused.

"They are the masters of the Voice." Haema answered, turning her gaze to the small Khajiit beside her. "If they are calling, then that cements it. You are the Dragonborn."

Ty'ani's chest tightened, staring pointedly at the woman. "How can you be sure?"

"Trust me, I'm sure." she said, a smile on her face. "The Jarl will want to know of this as well. We'd better make haste."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

It was a sombre mood in the palace as the two made their way to the throne. The muffled patter of the increasing storm outside only added to the atmosphere. The Jarl's steward was pacing back and forth at the foot of the throne, with the Jarl and another Nord man in scaled armour conversing on the platform. Even though they were dripping wet and weren't exactly looking their best, Ty'ani and Haema still approached the throne.

Pausing in his step, the steward's attention was drawn immediately to them, nodding when he spotted Ty'ani. "Good. You're finally here. The Jarl's been waiting for you." he then walked to his usual place at the Jarl's side, while the large Nord stepped to the side as well. Wiping her wet locks from her forehead, Ty'ani took one step ahead of her companion as the Jarl spoke.

"You heard the summons. What else could it mean?" he turned his gaze to the Khajiit, his eyes filled with an undistinguished look. "The Greybeards."

Ty'ani fidgeted under that intense gaze as she did the last time, though like before she fixed her eyes onto his as the large man at the side addressed her. "We were just talking about you. My brother needs a word with you."

Wasting no time, the Jarl began. "So what happened at the watchtower? Was the dragon there?" it was an open question, so therefore, Haema answered confidently.

"Yes, my lord. The watchtower was destroyed, but we killed the dragon."

Balgruuf smiled, nodding. "Very good. My faith was well placed." he glanced pointedly at Ty'ani then and she could see that he knew there was something more. "But there must be more to it then that."

Haema glanced at the Khajiit, sighing as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Perhaps it will be best if you told him, Ty'ani." she said as she stepped back.

She didn't particularly want to but Ty'ani took a deep breath, deciding to get it over with. "When the dragon died," she began. "I... well, I, absorbed some sort of power from it."

At this revelation, Balgruuf sat up higher in his seat. "So it's true." he whispered, his voice full of awe. "The Greybeards really were summoning you."

Ty'ani lowered her brows in a questioning manner. "Who exactly are the Greybeards?"

"Masters of the Way of the Voice." the Jarl explained as he leant back. "They live in seclusion high on the slopes of the Throat of the World."

"And what do they want with me?"

Balgruuf leant his elbow on the arm of his chair as he answered her question. "The Dragonborn is said to be uniquely gifted in the Voice- the ability to focus your vital essence into a Thu'um, or Shout. If you really are Dragonborn, they could teach you how to use your gift."

Ty'ani was having a hard time processing everything that was told to her. Her head was spinning at just the prospect of her being Dragonborn, never mind anything else. The Jarl calls it a gift but frankly, all Ty'ani could think of it as was a curse. One that completely changes everything. At that point, the other Nord- Balgruuf's brother- spoke to her as well.

"Didn't you hear the thundering sound as you returned to Whiterun?" he asked. "That was the voice of the Greybeards, summoning you to High Hrothgar. This hasn't happened in... centuries, at least. Not since Tiber Septim himself was summoned when he was still Talos of Atmora!"

It was then that the Jarl's steward cut in with a shake of his head. "Hrongar, calm yourself. What does any of this Nord nonsense have to do with our friend here?" he gestured casually to Ty'ani, who was feeling quite put out by the fact they were talking about her as if she weren't there. "Capable as she may be, I don't see any sign of her being this, what, 'Dragonborn'. Never mind the fact that she is a Khajiit atop that."

Ty'ani bristled at that. Even with her fur being wet and clinging to her skin, it still seemed as though it puffed up in irritation as she unconsciously let out a throaty growl, one which actually sounded like an angry cat. She wasn't the only one that felt angry at the Imperial though, even if it was for a different reason. "Nord nonsense!?" Hrongar repeated, scowling at the man. "Why you puffed up ignorant... these are our sacred traditions that go back to the founding of the first Empire!"

Balgruuf quickly stepped in before things got ugly. "Hrongar, don't be so hard on Avenicci."

Avenicci bowed his head as he replied. "I meant no disrespect, of course. It's just that..." he glanced briefly at Ty'ani, taking note of her scalding expression. "What do these Greybeards want with her?"

"That's the Greybeard's business, not ours." Balgruuf said with finality before bringing his gaze to her. "Whatever happened when you killed that dragon, it revealed something in you, and the Greybeards heard it. If they think your Dragonborn, who are we to argue? You'd better get up to High Hrothgar immediately. There's no refusing the summons of the Greybeards. It's a tremendous honour." he paused as he studied the small girl, a smile forming on his face. "I envy you, you know. To climb the seven thousand steps again... I made the pilgrimage once, did you know that? High Hrothgar is a very peaceful place. Very... disconnected from the troubles of this world. I wonder that the Greybeards even notice what's going on down here. They never seemed to care before." he pondered, his eyes glazing over for a moment but that didn't last, shaking his head. "No matter."

He stood from his throne then, pacing toward the Khajiit and standing before her. Ty'ani glanced up at the man as he placed gentle hands on her shoulders, staring into her sapphire gaze. "I know that we have not had the best of beginnings, but that no longer matters. You have done a far greater service for me and my city then either of us had predicted, Dragonborn. and I no longer believe that a purely physical reward will be fit for the deeds you have done. Therefore, by my right as Jarl, I have decided to name you Thane of Whiterun. It is the greatest honour that is within my power to grant."

Ty'ani's eyes widened in surprise at this new development. Even the occupants of the room seemed to draw in a breath as one, as every pair of eyes looked to the small Khajiit girl. Ty'ani herself felt as though the ground had opened up and swallowed her. In fact, at this moment she actually wanted that to happen. She hasn't even recovered from the shock of being Dragonborn and now all of a sudden, she's become a Thane as well. She may be undereducated, but that didn't mean that she didn't know what a Thane was. Being such meant that she was just under the authority of a Jarl and as such, will be the most recognised person in the city. The Jarl must be completely out of his mind to bestow that title on her.

Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Balgruuf continued. "And as a Thane, you are entitled to your own personal Housecarl. I assign you Lydia, a well decorated Lieutenant of my guard. We are honoured to have you as Thane of our city, Dragonborn. Lydia shall be with you by morning and will accompany you to High Hrothgar. Learn all that the Greybeards can teach you, and I wish you good fortune on your journey."

Sensing that she was dismissed, Ty'ani turned from the throne. She briefly heard Avenicci beginning to protest to the Jarl by assigning her as Thane, but she didn't hear much else as she paced past her companion. Haema was quite happy with the honour bestowed upon her, but upon seeing her faraway look, the Nord quickly figured out that this was far too much for the girl to handle. 

As Ty'ani stepped through the double doors and back out into the storm, it seemed as if the grip she had on her panic switch finally slipped off. She wanted to scream, to curl up in a tight ball and cry. What had gone wrong? Her life had been so simple; hiding amongst the crowd, picking pockets and breaking into houses. She was just another Khajiit and no one paid attention to her, which suited her just fine. Now, she was the most recognised person in Whiterun, and there was no doubt in her mind that all of Skyrim will soon find out about this as well. She released a shuddering breath as her eyes stung with tears. ' _Here I was, thinking that things would not get worse. Well, they did. Much, much worse.'_ she mentally said, feeling the first tear roll down her cheek.

It was then that a rumble filtered through the air, signifying that the storm had become worse as well. How fitting.

Ty'ani suddenly jumped in surprise as she felt a hand on her shoulder, opening her eyes to look behind herself. Her vision was filled with Haema glancing at her in concern. Blinking away the tears- she actually was thankful for the rain- she forced on a smile. "Sorry." she whispered. "I... it's just been a really long day and I'm tired. If you don't mind I'm... just going to go rest." ' _And hope that this is another bad dream._ '

Haema nodded. "I think maybe food and rest is the best option right now." at that, they headed to the Bannered Mare.


	5. Unbound

**4E 201  
25th of Sun's Dusk**

The morning was a muggy one, as the rains hadn't let up at all the previous day. The stone paved streets of Whiterun were still wet, even as the sun beamed brightly as it climbed above the mountains. The pleasant air was one thing that Lydia could be grateful for as her boots splashed through the puddles, since her mood had been quite dark as of late.

The previous afternoon, she had been approached by the Jarl's Housecarl, the Dunmer woman telling her that she had been chosen to be Housecarl to Whiterun's new Thane. That bit of news had surprised her, but still she felt honoured that she had been chosen. As she was taken to be fitted with her new steel armour, she asked Irileth who the Thane was. The answer she received both shocked and angered her.

At first it seemed promising, as Irileth told her that the Thane was the newly revealed Dragonborn. For that one split second, she felt a huge surge of honour that she was chosen to guard the fabled Nordic hero of legend. However, that feeling was soon dashed as Irileth informed her that it was also the Khajiit she had brought to the palace days ago.

It was that knowledge that infuriated her. She just couldn't believe that dirty little thief had not only been pardoned, but also given the title of Thane. Never mind that a _Khajiit_ was the Dragonborn, that was one thing that she couldn't believe most of all. The Jarl must have taken leave of his senses bestowing that title on her, as there was no doubt in Lydia's mind that the thief would abuse the title to suit her own means.

Unfortunately though, no matter her thoughts, she could not allow her feelings to stand in the way of her duty. Yes, she did not want to be stuck with that thief until her death, but for the sake of her honour she had to see it through.

Standing before the doors to the Bannered Mare, as she was told that was where the new Thane is currently residing, Lydia inhaled a deep breath in preparation. She steeled her resolve, mentally reminding herself to be polite to the Khajiit, as the last thing she wanted was to insult the Thane and have it be heard by the Jarl. Letting out the air in her lungs through her mouth, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The break room was quiet, as it usually was after a night of drunken debauchery, only a few souls sitting at the tables either nursing a hangover or eating breakfast. Scanning the room, it didn't take Lydia long to find who she was looking for, since the white fur made her stand out like a sore thumb. The thief was sat at the furthest table, hunched over a bowl of stew looking very much dead to the world. She had a tired look about her, as though the weight of the world was crushing down on her shoulders as she took absent sips of her meal.

That aside, the Khajiit was exactly as Lydia remembered her. White fur, black patches, black hair, blue eyes and scars across her nose. Her unique armour was absent though, having currently been replaced with a plain brown bodice with a white long sleeved shirt, black linen breeches and black boots.

Taking another breath, Lydia rested her hand against the pommel of her sword and marched over to the small Khajiit. Once within hearing range, the brunette Nord cleared her throat to gain the girl's attention. One pointed ear twitched toward her before the Khajiit's head snapped up, sapphire eyes catching her green ones in an instant.

Squaring her shoulders, Lydia bowed her head. "My Thane, I am Lydia." she began, being careful to keep the disdain out of her tone. "The Jarl has appointed me to be your Housecarl, it's an honour to serve you." She fell silent after that, allowing the thief to study her.

From what she could see, as she wasn't looking directly at the girl, Lydia noticed that the Khajiit had a look of scrutiny, as if she was sizing her up. She could plainly see the cogs turning in her head as she attempted to work out who she was. Lydia knew that her name would sound familiar to the Khajiit, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of annoyance at the apparent ignorance, until she remembered that the day she apprehended her, she was wearing her closed guard helm. It was no wonder that the thief didn't recognize her straight away.

Still, once she saw that the thief finally realized who she was, she couldn't help but feel smug at that expression.

Ty'ani on the other hand felt her insides go cold. Of course, she swiftly figured out who this woman was, as there weren't very many women in the guard and the Jarl had told her that a guard lieutenant would be her Housecarl. So once she put two and two together, she couldn't help but feel suspicion. Therefore, without thought, Ty'ani said. "So, is the Jarl wanting to keep an eye on me?"

Once the words were out of her mouth, only then did she realise what she said. Ty'ani cursed herself, wishing she could take them back when the brunette Nord gave her a withering look.

Lydia, in response, frowned before replying. "No. Should he?"

Letting out a groan, Ty'ani slumped forward, rubbing her forehead. "I'm sorry." she apologised. "Look, could we start again?" for a second, Lydia gave her a look of suspicion but nodded none the less. Ty'ani continued, reassured. "All right. I'm Ty'ani. Sorry to say, but I don't particularly know what a Housecarl does, they don't have them in Cyrodiil."

As if by instinct, Lydia responded. "A Housecarl is, by all rights, a bodyguard. As my Thane, I am sworn to your service. I'll guard you, and all you own, with my life." once that was out of the way, Lydia dropped her professional personage. Just as she was about to comment even further, that was when a familiar voice spoke.

"Ah, Lydia, it is good to see you again. I'd heard you were promoted to Housecarl."

Both the Nord and Khajiit looked round, seeing Haema standing a few feet away from the table. She was dressed in her simple shirt and breeches, which was why neither one of them heard her approach. Once at the table, she helped herself to a seat as Lydia snapped to attention.

"Harbinger." she greeted formally. Haema merely shook her head in amusement.

"Lydia please, there's no need to be so formal with me." the warrior then looked over to Ty'ani, flashing her a friendly smile. "A good morning to you, Ty'ani."

"Morning." the Khajiit replied tiredly.

Haema frowned in concern at the downtrodden tone. "Something vexing you?"

"No, it's not that." the girl reassured. "I just didn't sleep well last night, had a lot on my mind."

"Oh, I see." Haema replied with a nod of her head, swiping her blonde hair behind her ears. "Are you fit to travel?"

Ty'ani smiled. "Thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine."

"Very well." Haema dismissed before leaning forward, resting her arms on the table. "Well, I am going to assume that you are going to make your way to High Hrothgar as soon as possible. I must warn you that the roads are dangerous at this time, as there are no doubt that more bandits will crop up with the dragons returning." she explained, leaning back and crossing her arms as she paused. It didn't take long for her to continue though. "As such, I insist on travelling with you."

The Khajiit girl couldn't help but sigh at that. "You don't have to. I know you have obligations here Haema."

"That is true." the Nord agreed. "But, me and my own are needed whenever there is a threat to Skyrim's people and as of right now, the largest threat is the dragons. As Dragonborn, you will be at the heart of that mess and you'll need all the help you can get to see it through."

"But what about your organisation?" Ty'ani continued to ask. "You're their leader. They'll need you, won't they?"

Haema just smile. "I may be Harbinger Ty'ani, but that doesn't make me a leader. They do not need me to hold their hands, they can fend for themselves while I am gone." Ty'ani opened her mouth to protest more, but Haema held up her hand to stop her, already knowing what she was going to say. "As for my family, they are in good hands. My son is old enough to look after himself and his sisters, so they will be fine."

At that, Ty'ani sighed as she finally relented. There was no way she was going to talk Haema out of this, so she may as well accept the fact that she was coming along. "Okay, I admit it: I do need help. To be honest, I don't really know what I'm doing, aside from seeing the Greybeards and killing dragons."

"You will figure it out." Haema reassured. "This is the least I can do for you, Ty'ani. Besides, aside from the bandits, there is an increase of trolls on the mountains this time of year. I wouldn't want you to face those creatures yourself."

At the mention of trolls, Ty'ani's eyes bugged out. In the past, she had run into her fair share of trolls, both in Cyrodiil and Skyrim. The ones in the Imperial province were the size of your average man and tended to keep to the caves and abandoned mines. They were of course a force to be reckoned with, but the ones here in Skyrim were much worse. Larger than a man in both height and width, with a strength that rivalled even the giants, it was suffice to say that Ty'ani wasn't looking forward to facing another any time soon.

With that in mind, the Khajiit glanced at Haema with a worried look. "Well," she began slowly. "When you put it like that, I definitely won't say no to having you at my side."

The blonde Nord smiled at that.

After a lengthy pause, Ty'ani cleared her throat and sat up straight. "So, this High Hrothgar is up on the Throat of the World, right?"

"That it is, my Thane." Lydia answered.

Ty'ani blinked, slightly bewildered that the woman had spoken to her when it was clear what her feelings were. Either way, the Khajiit continued. "Well, is there a way to get there? I don't know about you, but I'm not entirely eager to scale that mountain."

"There's a pathway leading to the summit, the seven-thousand steps." Haema answered without hesitation. "The trail starts in Ivarstead."

Ty'ani frowned. "Where's that? I've never been to Ivarstead before."

"It's in the northern parts of the Rift. Literally on the other side of the mountain."

Nodding, Ty'ani finished the last of her stew before rising from her seat. "In that case then, we'd best go to the General Store and gather what equipment we can." 

Haema stood from her chair also. "I'll go ahead and grab what I can. I'll meet you both at the front gate." at Ty'ani's acknowledgement, the Nord warrior pivoted on the ball of her foot and walked out of the Inn. Lydia glanced toward Ty'ani, folding her hands behind her back.

"I will wait here for you, my Thane."

"Thank you." Ty'ani muttered, her ears flattening slightly as she turned away. "But don't call me that, okay. Just call me Ty'ani." with that, the Khajiit disappeared up the stairs to gather her equipment and don her armour.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

It didn't take the three of them long to gather everything they needed for the journey ahead. As Ivarstead was approximately a six day journey via Eastmarch, they had to ensure that they had enough rations to last between them all. Therefore, with extra packs filled with all they would need, the women met back up at the gate.

It surprised them though when they ran across a familiar face at the stables, the blue robes quickly surmised who it was in an instant.

"Alasse?" Ty'ani asked, truly shocked to see the Altmer still in Whiterun. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going back to Winterhold."

The high-elf paced away from the horses stalls, hooking a thumb in her satchel as she gave the three a calculating look. "Indeed I was." she replied. "Until the return of the Dragonborn beckoned my attention." she brought her acid eyes to Ty'ani when she said that, the gaze saying more then her words ever would. Ty'ani sighed at that.

"You heard about that?" she muttered.

Alasse cocked a brow. "All within Whiterun has heard. News such as that tends to spread around fairly fast, as well as the knowledge of your recent status."

"Right." Ty'ani merely stated, scraping her metal-tipped toe against the cobblestone.

"But I digress." Alasse dismissed, metaphorically waving the previous conversation away. "I have been waiting for you for a reason, as I wish to ask if you would allow me to join you once again."

Ty'ani blinked, but she smiled none the less. "I'd be happy to have you along again. But, why exactly?"

Alasse crossed her arms then, leaning her weight on one leg. "I not only wish to provide my skill set to your cause, but I know for a fact that you will no doubt be within close proximity of the dragons, and I wish to document all I can on the matter."

Haema had to smile at that as she spoke up next. "A scholar till the end I see."

"But of course." Alasse replied, bringing her eyes to the Nord. "What better way to prepare the future generations then to arm them with the knowledge of one who experienced the dragons first hand?"

Haema laughed then. "A fair point. Welcome back, Alasse."

"Aw, it's a regular family reunion. How adorable!"

The women jumped in surprise at the sudden voice, whipping their gazes around as they tried to locate the source.

"Up here!" the voice sang out, causing four sets of eyes to look up to the overhang above them. Sitting directly over their heads, with her body hunched over and her chin in her palm, was Altwen. She smirked when their gazes landed upon her, raising her other hand in greeting. "Hey there!"

The woman looked different since the last time they saw her. Instead of her elaborate bodice, her body was clad in a dark chain-mail doublet, with a dark red neck cover and a high collar framing her dark hood. She had leather leggings with a blue sash around her waist held in place by a belt. On the belt was a coin-purse, a large leather water-skin and a huge makeshift belt pouch. Also there was a leather bandoleer running over her chest with multiple pouches. She had fur lined leather gauntlets with gloves and sturdy leather boots that reached her thighs.

Also attached to her belt were two beautiful short swords and a dagger, all of the same craft with each baring golden filigree upon the hilt. Over her shoulder, resting over a brown fur backpack, was a long bow. It was quite thin and tall with reinforce limbs, a wrapped grip and an extra quiver attached to it with three unique arrows. The main quiver was attached to her belt, set at an angle so the arrows won't fall out, but also within easy reach.

"What are you doing here?" Haema demanded, frowning at the woman.

"Sightseein'." Altwen replied without hesitation, turning her forest gaze to the horizon as if the emphasise the point. She then looked back to them. "In all honesty though, I'm actually stalkin' you."

"Why?" Ty'ani asked suspiciously.

"Because you, sweetheart," the woman pointed a finger at the Khajiit. "Are a very interestin' girl. First a Dragon _stone_ and now a Dragon _born_. What is it with you and ancient legends, hmm? Oh, and takin' on an actual real life dragon? Brilliant stuff."

"You saw that?" Ty'ani yelled, a feeling of annoyance spreading through her. "Why didn't you help?"

"Er, because I'm not crazy enough to take on a dragon toe to toe."Altwen pointed out. "Unlike _some_ people. Honestly, you were literally right in front of it's nose. That takes balls." at that point, Altwen pushed herself off the roof, landing in a crouch beside the party and rising in one fluid motion.

Haema scowled at the woman, taking a single step forward as the floodgates of anger opened. "You still could have brought your bow to the cause. What would you have done if the dragon had triumphed?"

"Nothing, cus the dragon's dead. Thanks to our... illustrious Dragonborn here." she purred, staring seductively at Ty'ani whom squirmed uncomfortably.

"That is not the point." Hamea bit back through gritted teeth.

Altwen rolled her eyes. "Look, the truth is, by the time I readied my bow, the beast was already dead. What did you want me to do, yell curses at the bones?"

At that point, Ty'ani stepped between the two women. "Enough." she said calmly. "At this point, this conversation benefits no one. She's here now, and we could always use an extra bow at our side."

Alasse sighed then. "Oh yes, that sharpened tongue of hers will fell any beast we come across for certain."

"Oh, you do say the sweetest things Ice Queen." Altwen retaliated.

Ty'ani rubbed her forehead in irritation, feeling a headache forming in the depths of her brain. Looking at the women before her, she mentally sighed. ' _By Nocturnal's grace, what have I gotten myself into._ '

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The entourage of women met little resistance as they made their way eastwards. After a quiet day of travelling, they stopped at Valtheim Towers for the evening, a previously occupied bandit hideout that had been recently cleared by mercenaries looking for an easy reward. It was quite convenient for the group as they tied their horses nearby and made themselves at home in the first tower.

At the very top of the tower, Ty'ani stood close to the edge, just simply looking toward the horizon. Over the past three months she had been here in Skyrim, she'd been down this road more than enough times but she had never really had the opportunity to just look out over the landscape. From up here, it was a grand view. The rolling hills and pristine plains stretched for miles, completely untouched by man apart from the occasional fort here and there. Thick evergreen trees laden with snow dotted the land in small groups, reaching high to the heavens with the golden light of the sinking sun shining down.

Ty'ani smiled at this. Even though her life had been turned upside down and inside out these past few months, she could feel reassured in the knowledge that Skyrim will remain a truly breathtaking land, no matter the circumstances. Though she shivered as the heat of the sun began to disperse, giving way to the wintry winds, swiftly covering herself with her cloak as she continued to admire the view.

It didn't take long though for the silence to be broken. "Beautiful, ain't it?"

The Khajiit jumped slightly, turning toward the disturbance to see Altwen stepping toward her. She was also staring out to the horizon with a small smile on her face. "Someone should draw a picture." she continued. "I swear, I could look over this land a thousand times and never tire of its beauty."

In response, Ty'ani returned her gaze to the view and smiled. "Can't argue with that." she replied, shivering some more as the wind picked up. "Though I could do without this cold."

The huntress just laughed, sidling up to the girl's side. "So, any reason your up here on your lonesome, or you just enjoyin' the view?"

Ty'ani gave the woman a look, though she relented none the less. "Sometimes, one needs to find solitude." she said off handedly.

In response, Altwen nodded without a word.

As the sun finally fell behind the mountains, giving way to the twin moons, Ty'ani mused out loud. "You said three-hundred years. Surely you jest." As the red head turned her gaze to the Khajiit, the girl cursed herself. As she had spent so long travelling on her own, she had grown into the habit of speaking her thoughts out loud. She mentally kicked herself, wishing she could take back what she said.

Cocking a brow, Altwen allowed a smile to stretch across her face. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm not a Nord. Ya see, I only ever tell my victims this: I'm actually a monster of Oblivion." she watched as Ty'ani's expression twisted into one of horror, which caused Altwen to burst out with laughter. Spluttering between giggles, she somehow managed to speak. "By Gods Kitten, you should have seen your face. No I'm just messin' with ya. My father was a Nord, yes, but my mother... well, she was a Bosmer. Best of both worlds, ya see."

Ty'ani blinked in surprise, openly gaping at the woman. Sensing the questions that would come forth, Altwen answered before the Khajiit had the chance to speak. "Yes, yes, I'm a half-elf. Not a half- _breed_. Calling me as such is bad for your health, trust me on that one." Hooking her fingers into edge of the hood, she removed it, allowing the material to pool over the collar of her armour. What was revealed was bright red hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail with one side of her bangs wrapped in fine silk. Ty'ani could also clearly see a set of scars running down her left cheek, though that wasn't what caught the Khajiit's attention, as she saw a pair of obviously elfish ears. It was quite an odd sight, seeing a Nordic face with elven ears.

"These things," Altwen began again, wiggling the ears. "Have brought me nothin' but grief when I'm in a city, hence the hood. I prefer the company of the wilds or the Khajiit caravans rather than Nords."

The last statement was what caught Ty'ani completely off guard. "You've travelled with the Khajiit caravans?" she asked.

Altwen smiled, placing a hand on a shapely hip. "Way before you were born Kitten..." she explained and then, much to Ty'ani's surprise, changed to the Khajiiti language. " _I spent a lifetime with one male, the happiest I've ever been, until he died. His memory travels with me always. After all, soft delicate fur against my skin, it has such an exquisite feel to it._ "

In her dreamy state, Altwen began to unconsciously stroke Ty'ani's arm, where her white fur was exposed. After a moment though, both women froze when they realized what the half-elf was doing. Clearing her throat, Altwen withdrew her hand, taking a single step back. "Sorry." she muttered. "Let's just say, I've been... _intimate_ with Khajiit and prefer their company over Nords. Even my-"

It was at that point that Ty'ani saw the woman's eyes widen slightly, as a slither of horror emerged for a second. The Khajiit frowned in confusion as Altwen cleared her throat once again. The half-elf glanced over at the girl again, the moment of weakness disappearing as if it never existed, a smirk on her face "Hey, I ever mention you look a lot like my mate's sister? She had a bit of an interspecies fetish as well. Apparently, I'm a bad influence, after she ended up seein' someone outside her species." she paused for a moment, her grin widening. "You might be related to her and if so, we are gonna have _so_ much fun." at that, and without allowing the Khajiit to reply, the huntress turned back to head down the stairs while folding her hood back over her head. Pausing half way down, she turned back. "Oh, you ever played hide the sausage? Anyway, some venison downstairs if ya want some." without another word, she disappeared.

Bemused, Ty'ani stared at the spot where the half-elf was, her mind going blank at the sudden question. "Hide the sausage? What?" she muttered to herself.

Meanwhile, a stew bubbled away as Altwen returned to tending to it. After one stir, the half-elf reached for her pack, pulling out a small pouch. Opening it, she took out a pinch of crushed golden plant material and sprinkled it into the cooking meal. As the herbs were stirred into the broth, the smell of the food seemed to have intensified as the aroma reached the noses of those within.

Lowering her journal, Alasse cocked a brow as she took in the exotic scent. "You cooked _that_?" she questioned in an unbelieving manner.

The huntress shrugged. "What can I say, I've just got that magic touch." she empathised that statement by wiggling her fingers in an over the top fashion, as though she was casting a spell.

Haema pivoted in her seat, eyeing the half-elf with surprise. "Well, if it tastes as good as it smells, we're in for a meal and a half."

As Altwen grabbed a bowl from the neat stack beside her, Ty'ani descended from the tower top. Altwen scooped out a full ladle of the stew and poured it into the bowl, immediately offering it to the Khajiit as she passed by. "Here, eat this." she warmly said as Ty'ani took the offering.

Alasse's eyebrow raised, noting the change in the woman as she addressed Ty'ani. As the Khajiit made her way to the table, stew in hand, Lydia rounded the stairs having returned from tending the horses. She too was offered a bowl, though not as warmly Alasse noticed. She hummed suspiciously but made no comment.

As the meals were passed around, the women got themselves settled. Despite the fact that they had no encounters on the road, the journey was still a tiring one as being sat astride a horse can be quite bothersome over time. They tucked in to the food in silence, but it didn't stay that way for long.

Altwen sighed. "I hate awkward silence." she muttered, turning to her first 'victim'. "Hey Muscles, why don't you tell us your story?"

"My story?" Haema asked before sucking in a breath. "There is not a lot to my story."

"Oh, that's a lie and you know it." the half-elf prompted. "You are a part of a warrior's guild- the leader of it, in fact. There has to be a good story behind that."

Haema pursed her lips before taking another mouthful of the stew. Swallowing it, she leant back in thought. "There really is not much to tell." she began. "I have been a part of the Companions since I was but a small lass. Over time, I fought my way to the top, becoming a member of the Circle and inheriting the role of Harbinger after the previous one was..." it was here she paused, turning her gaze to the table top.

"Ah, I see." Altwen nodded. Though it didn't take long for her to continue. "Okay, outside that then. You have anythin' interestin' to tell us at all? Clearin' out bandits? Huntin' vampires? Killin' feral beast?"

Leaning back, Haema turned her eyes to the ceiling in thought. "Well, there was this one time. We were contracted to fight our way through a den infested with Falmer, as they had attacked a merchant caravan and kidnapped the merchants."

"Oh, do tell."

Sighing, the Nord continued. "This was years back, mind you. Far before I made it to the Circle. As such, I wasn't as experienced fighting them then than I am now. On the way through, I got bit by one of those insects- the Chaurus." It was then that Haema began to remove her right gauntlet. Once it was off, she folded up her sleeve and turned her arm to show the underside. Originating from there was a set of scars that were clearly teeth marks, running down either side of her arm before disappearing entirely. "I underestimated the strength of those things at the time, and it bit straight through my armour. Would have taken my arm off completely had it not been for Farkas."

"Who's Farkas?" Ty'ani inquired.

"Farkas is my husband. I met him when I first joined the Companions, been smitten with him since and married him long before I became Harbinger." as she spoke, she covered her arm with her sleeve but left her gauntlet on the table. "Anyway, to make a long story short; by the time we found the merchants, it was already too late. They had already been killed by the Falmer."

"Detestable creatures." Alasse commented. "It is hard to believe that they were once the prideful snow elf race."

"What's a snow elf?" Ty'ani asked suddenly.

"You mean you don't know?" Lydia questioned.

Ty'ani looked at the woman and shook her head. "Well, I've heard people mention the name and such, but I don't really know who they are."

"Well, simply put," Alasse began. "The snow elves were once a race of mer that inhabited Skyrim some time in the Merethic Era. When the Nords drove them away, they fled to seek shelter with the Dwemer. However, it is believed that the Dwemer instead reduced the snow elves to slaves and blinded their race, turning them into the Falmer as we know them today."

"Gods." Ty'ani breathed out in shock. "Those poor people."

"History is long and bloodied, Ty'ani." Alasse simply replied, saying nothing more on the matter.

As the evening waned on, and the meal in the cooking pot gradually reduced, the small group of adventurers continued to chatter away. Slowly but surely, they begun to lower their guard, smiling and laughing at nothing for what felt like the first time in ages. Altwen smiled at this. ' _Amazin' what a little intoxicatin' herbs can do to relax a party._ ' she almost laughed out loud as she imagined the scolding she'd receive from Alasse if she knew.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The next morning, the group woke feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. They swiftly gathered and packed their equipment, loaded the horses and set off. For a while, the road ran parallel to the river but it didn't take long before they lost sight of it, the tree line beginning to thicken as well.

As the day wore on, the adventurers soon came across a fork in the road. It was here they stopped, deciding it best to have a small break. Haema slid out of the saddle, turning to assist Ty'ani down while the others followed suit. As they guided their horses to the trees to tie the reigns to them, Ty'ani glanced at the sign post that stood in the bend. She frowned, squinting at the illegible scrawls on the pointers, having absolutely no clue what they said at all.

Huffing through her nose, Ty'ani turned away. "I don't even know why I try." she muttered in irritation.

"Try what?" came the voice of Lydia as she stepped up behind her. The Khajiit groaned.

"Just... no forget it, it doesn't matter." she dismissed quickly. She could see that the Housecarl was about to inquire further, but the last thing Ty'ani wanted was to give out unneeded information. To her, her inability to read wasn't really something to be concerned about, so she quickly changed the subject. "So, you were a guard Lydia." she stated. Not as a question, but as a fact.

Lydia frowned at the very obvious change in the conversation, the two of them rejoining their company as she arched a brow. Though before long, she too huffed. "Your observation of the obvious is quite astounding." she deadpanned.

Ty'ani sighed. "Look, I know that we've had our differences in the past, but that's in the past. You're my Housecarl now and I just want to get to know you a little better. Is that so wrong?"

"Why the sudden interest in my history?" the brunette Nord asked guardedly.

Turning to the woman to make eye contact with her, Ty'ani shrugged. "We're going to be here for a little while, I just thought it'll be a nice way to kill time."

Lydia crossed her arms, sighing as Ty'ani leant against a nearby tree, the two of them watching Haema build a fire. Just in time too, as the winds were beginning to pick up. Before long, Lydia finally answered. "I have been in the guard for many years. My father thought it best to teach me the way of the sword, rather than staying at home learning how to sew and housekeep." she lowered her gaze then, pursing her lips unconsciously. "He had wanted a son after all, but ended up with me instead. Thought it better if his only daughter was capable of looking after herself a guess."

Ty'ani was silent for a while, nibbling on her bottom lip as she contemplated the woman's words. "Is your father...?" she asked after a moment, trailing off uncertainly.

"He is dead." Lydia confirmed. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Ty'ani had a sympathetic look on her face. Before the girl could say anything, the Nord held up a hand to stop her. "It was a long time ago, I've had my time to mourn him."

Ty'ani's mouth snapped shut at that, nodding. Clearing her throat, she pushed off the tree and made her way over to Haema, seeing that she had finally got the fire going. It was only a small one, but it was enough for her to warm her hands. Lydia on the other hand stayed where she was, keeping a vigilant eye out for trouble.

Kneeling beside the fire, Ty'ani watched as the group began to pull out water-skins and rations, taking advantage of the time they had to have a small meal. From across her, Altwen smiled. "So, you and Sunshine have a nice conversation?"

Frowning, Ty'ani answered. "You could say that." she paused as she too pulled out some rations, but then looked directly at Altwen. "What's with you and the nicknames, by the way?"

Grinning, Altwen settled back on her behind and crossed her legs Indian style. "Eh, what can I say; some people just don't match their names, so I give 'em a new one." she explained off-handedly.

The Khajiit girl cocked a brow at that. "So why 'Kitten' for me? That's a little offensive, don't you think?"

"Not really." the huntress dismissed. "I called my mate's sister Kitten and you remind me so much of her. Plus, it's a compliment. Your still young and beautiful, just like a little kitten."

Despite the kind words, Ty'ani still couldn't help but bristle. "I'm not a cub." she snapped in annoyance. "I happen to be eighteen years old and very much an adult, thank you very much."

Altwen's smirk only persisted. "Eighteen huh? Well, that's good to know, thanks!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

Ty'ani's ears flattened against her head, realising too late that she had just delivered to the half-elf information that will be used against her to make her uncomfortable. Groaning, she turned away from the still grinning half-elf and turned instead to Haema, clearing her suddenly dry throat.

"Haema, is there anything else you can tell me about High Hrothgar."

Ignoring the sniggers of the woman seated with them, Haema glance to the young Khajiit, pursing her lips. "Well, there's not much I know. It's been there for centuries, that is for certain. As for the Greybeards themselves, I've never seen them in person but as they are masters of the Voice, they could easily kill a man just by uttering a single word. Not that they would of course, they are very peaceful."

In spite of Haema's reassurance, Ty'ani couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Is the Thu'um really that powerful? This power that she has could, in fact, kill a person just by speaking? All of a sudden, the rumours of Ulfric Stormcloak shouting High King Torygg to pieces began to make sense to her. By Gods, why must she have a power like that? That is simply terrifying.

Shaking off her uneasiness, Ty'ani resumed. "Well, does the path really have seven thousand steps?"

"M'aiq once walked to High Hrothgar. So many steps, he lost count."

All those nearby paused in befuddlement, turning toward the owner of the sudden voice. What met their sights was a Khajiit man in tan robes with an average sized backpack, standing not too far away and studying each of them.

"...I'm sorry?" Ty'ani asked.

"M'aiq does not understand what is so impressive about shouting." he continued as if Ty'ani had never spoken. "M'aiq can shout whenever he wants."

Confused, Ty'ani only gave him a blank stare. "Erm..." she merely said.

"Hold a moment." Altwen remarked, climbing to her feet to study M'aiq in more detail. "I know you, don't I? Or.. no, was that your father?"

M'aiq only smiled at the woman. "M'aiq's father was also called M'iaq. As was M'aiq's father's father. At least, that is what his father said. But then again, you can never trust a liar." the Khajiit man then continued to study them all, not at all fazed by the fact his words were confusing them more. "You all travel together? Some like taking friends on adventures. M'aiq thinks being alone is better. Less arguing about splitting treasure."

"Oh, no arguin' here. Trust me on that one." Altwen said for the whole group.

Seemingly ignoring the woman's words, he simply turned and began to walk away. "M'aiq is tired now. Go bother somebody else." and without another word, M'aiq strode down the rode toward Windhelm, seeming to have already forgotten about their conversation.

As they watched him go, Haema, Alasse, Ty'ani and Lydia gave his back a confused look each. Before long though, they returned their attention back to what they were doing before.

"What a strange man." Haema commented.

"Most likely a skooma addict." Alasse remarked as she too knelt by the fire from the horses. "I would pay him no mind."

After that, the women quickly finished their lunch, tended to the horses and packed up to begin the journey again. Mounting up, it didn't take long for them to break through the tree line, revealing the cliffs that lead to the Rift. Though, when they passed by the nearby fort- which Haema told them was named Fort Amol- that was when they ran into trouble.

As they rode down the road, a small group of four people appeared from near the fort and stood in their path. They were all clad in matching robes, quickly telling the company that they had run into mages. As she was heading the group, Haema sighed in irritation. So much for passing without a fight.

"Hold it there!" the lead mage yelled. "This here is our territory! You best move on before things get ugly!"

"We intend to." Haema yelled back, though she tensed in preparation. "As long as you step aside."

"I don't think so." he snarled. "I think we'll escort you ourselves, make sure you go nowhere near our fort."

"Ha!" laughed Altwen from behind them, leaning her arm on her leg as she slumped slightly in the saddle. "His fort, he says. That's rich."

"I beg your pardon?" he hissed at the huntress.

From beside her, Alasse glared at Altwen. "What are you doing? You will get us all killed."

Pointedly ignoring her, Altwen watched with amusement as the mage stomped toward her, a withering glare on his face. "Care to repeat what you said there?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, was I mumblin'?" she asked mockingly. "Or are you just too thick skulled for my words to penetrate?"

"Altwen!" Ty'ani warned, beginning to feel a slither of dread as the woman continued to provoke the mages.

"No surprise there, I suppose." Altwen continued, completely ignoring the glares of her companions. "Probably too dumb to realise that this fort is rotting at the core anyway, as your heads are shoved too far in your undead thralls backsides to see anythin' else really."

The company winced as one, seeing the immediate effect of Altwen's words as the mages scowled at her. Raising his hands, they became surrounded with icy auras as the lead mage snarled at the half-elf. "That does it, your-"

He never got the chance to finish his sentence however, as a dagger suddenly appeared in his throat. Whatever words he was trying to speak came out as gargles, as blood poured from the puncture. Unprepared, the other mages froze in shock as their leader crumpled to the floor. Altwen took advantage of that moment, unsheathing her short swords in a fluid motion as she bounded off her horse, causing the animal to whinny.

What happened next was too fast for the party to comprehend, as Altwen pounced upon one of the mages, slashing her throat. Following through with the motion in a forward roll, she stabbed another in the chest as she rose- directly in the heart- and the other she cut down by slashing at his leg. Pulling out the sword from the now dead mage, she allowed him to fall as she pivoted around on her knee, stabbing both swords in the last mage's chest as he fell, timing it impossibly as he fell to his knees so her swords struck true.

The sentries on the fort wall, having seen this happen, immediately reacted. They rose their hands, firing their respective magics at the adventurers.

As fire and ice rained down on them, the party scrambled into motion. Valiant bucked up, whinnying in distress as Haema fought to keep him calm. Ty'ani let out a cry as she allowed herself to fall from the saddle, rolling upon the ground and away from the bucking animal, pulling off her bow and an arrow as she rose.

Leaving their horses behind once they were free from the saddles, the company drew their weapons and readied themselves as they charged toward the open gates.

Altwen sheathed her short swords, retrieving her dagger before taking her own bow in hand. She, Ty'ani and Alasse provided cover for Haema and Lydia, forcing the mages upon the walls into cover. The half-elf huntress scored a perfect shot against one mage, her arrow penetrating directly through the man's throat. Ty'ani hit another in the shoulder, causing him to stumble, but he was still standing. Alasse's fire spells exploded upon the wall edges, forcing the unprotected mages to flee to cover.

Haema and Lydia meanwhile made it inside the fort walls, seeing three mages before them on the grounds. They were immediately beset upon by their spells. They dodged whatever they could, but ice still shattered upon their armour and fire exploded around them, scalding them. Lydia rose her shield to block the majority of the attacks, using that to her advantage as she approached.

Once close enough, she charged forward and ran her sword through one of the fire mages. He was dead in an instant, though the other two turned their attention to her. A thing that Haema took full advantage of, as she charged forward and barrelled into the left most one. Unprepared for the heavy bull of a woman, the mage was effortlessly tackled and she tumbled to the ground. Immediately, Haema brought down her axe on the mage, killing her instantly.

The last one attempted to flee, quickly realising that he had no chance toe-to-toe against these two warriors. However, he barely made it to the stairs leading to the upper floor before an arrow found its way into his spine. He collapsed instantly.

The half-elf, Khajiit and high-elf rushed inside after that, following the two Nords to the upper levels to take care of the rest of the mages.

It turned out that there was only four more on the top level, though they were dispatched quickly through the combined efforts of the archers. The magic wards the mages had did nothing against the physical projectiles, the arrows passing through and hitting the owners fatally.

With them taken care of, Haema immediately rounded on Altwen, scowling at her. "Gods damn it woman, what on Nirn were you thinking?! You could have gotten us all killed!"

"What?" Altwen shrugged, not at all affected by the Nord warrior's ire. "I was bored."

"Bored? Bored!" Alasse snarled, just as angry as Haema. "We could have passed by peacefully if you had not compromised us."

Altwen rolled her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips. "Uh huh, right. Like they were ever goin' ta let us past peacefully. These guys are necromancers, in no way were they gonna to let us go."

Sighing, Ty'ani shared a look with her Housecarl, seeing her irritation of this situation as well. Turning to the rest, she spoke out. "Hey, can we talk about this when we're some place else? I'd rather not be set upon by more mages if it's all the same to you."

Briefly looking at the Khajiit, Altwen smiled, nodding her head. "Yeah, I'm in agreement with Kitten. How's about we settle this some other time, yeah?"

Growling, Hamea sighed before relenting. "Fine, but this is not over." At that, the group retreated from the fort and returned to their horses. Mounting up, they immediately left the fort behind. Altwen though couldn't help but huff in amusement. Oh, she was going to have the scolding her life, she could just see it.

As they left the fort in their wake, crossing over the bridge and making it to the bottom of the cliff path, that was precisely what happened. The moment it was deemed safe, Haema pulled on her horses reigns, prompting the rest to stop as well, and rounded on Altwen. Scowling at the woman, she began in a harsh tone. "What on Nirn were you thinking? You should consider yourself fortunate that none of us had been harmed with that stunt you pulled."

Altwen however merely rolled her eyes. "Oh come off it," she dismissed, clearly unaffected by the reprimand. "It's not like we couldn't of handled them, I just stopped them from takin' _us_ by surprise. They woulda tried to kill us before we even got to the bridge."

"That is besides the point." Lydia added. "Such a reckless move could have easily result in someone becoming hurt, or worse. If that had happened-"

"But it didn't." the huntress interrupted, spreading her arms in a show of making the point of showing the group that they were all well. "Look, none of us are hurt, so it don't really matter now does it?"

Haema sighed at this, massaging her forehead in irritation. It was quickly revealed to the woman that arguing with Altwen was like trying to get a spoiled child to see that the world doesn't revolve around them, it was just getting her nowhere. Lowering her hand down, she glared as she spoke again. "We may not have been hurt this time, but if you do that again and one of us becomes injured, it will be your own doing."

"Yeah yeah." Altwen dismissed, waving her hand like she didn't give a care in the world, which she didn't. "If you're quite finished, shall we get goin' now? I'd prefer to get to Ivarstead in this lifetime if it's all the same to you lot."

No one replied back to her, but the group began to head off again anyway, each deathly silent which made Ty'ani uneasy. She felt awkward as a response, as she didn't like people arguing over her head at the best of times, even if it wasn't aimed at her. Therefore, she merely kept herself as small as possible as they began the daunting climb up the cliff, not wanting to have the anger aimed at her.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The days passed quickly after that, thanks to both the swiftness of their mounts and the surprising lack of highwaymen on the road. They arrived at Ivarstead ahead of schedule, as the welcoming lights of the Inn beckoned them forward as the evening began to darken. Once inside the Vilemyr Inn, a sense of tension hung the air as the patrons within all seemed to glance at them as one. The looks were brief thankfully, as the people turned back to their conversations with one another.

Biting her lip nervously, Ty'ani strode ahead of the group toward the bar where the landlord resided. The heavyset Nord seemed surprised to see the new set of visitors in his tavern, his mood visibly changing. From behind her, Ty'ani clearly heard Altwen mutter to herself. "Not very high on visitors, are they?"

The landlord greeted them with an obviously rehearsed line, in a less than genuine tone. "Welcome to the Vilemyr Inn. We have a special offer on rooms, five septims per person."

Ty'ani's ears twitched in curiosity. "Five? Why so cheep?"

"Well..." the inn-keeper began. "I really shouldn't say. But since the barrow over yonder seems to have become active with ghosts and the like, its become a drain on travellers. They reckon this whole area could be cursed and honestly, I'm beginning to believe that. It's only the occasional pilgrim that passes through nowadays."

Haema stepped forward then. "Has anyone ever investigated the barrow?"

"A few months back, this dark-elf seemed interested in the barrow. I warned him away just as I'm warning you now. A few nights later, we heard screams coming from the barrow and that was that. We never saw him again. Also, just the other day, this lizard came through. I warned him away too but he seem rather adamant, offered to investigate. Haven't heard from him either. Could be dead for all I know."

Ty'ani smiled at the man. "Well, I would offer to go in as well but I seem to have one too many duties right now. Maybe after I come down from the mountain?"

The landlord nodded, flattening his hands on the bar's surface. "Right, so rooms. Dormitory or single?"

Ty'ani looked back at the group, knowing for a fact that Haema and Lydia would fall asleep anywhere due their training, just the same as she would. Looking at Altwen however, the huntress let slip a smile. " _Single_ room please. A girl needs her modesty."

"You? Modest?" Alasse sneered.

"Well if you wanna join me, your more than welcome." Altwen purred suggestively. Alasse just rolled her eyes, looking to the inn-keeper.

"A single room as well please." she informed him.

Rolling her own eyes, Ty'ani returned her attention back to the landlord. "A dormitory for the rest of us."

After the coin was exchanged and the locations of the rooms discussed, the group sat down for an evening meal. It was a standard fair but filling and warm, the norm for these out-of-the-way Inns. To be frank, standard was what the Khajiit preferred, finding that the higher end foods were far too rich for her liking.

About an hour later, the women retreated to their respective rooms. Sitting upon her straw filled bed, Ty'ani watched her friend and bodyguard get comfortable and slowly drift to sleep. She wanted to join them but she found that she was unable to. Quite ironic really, as just this morning she was fighting to keep her eyes open. But still, knowing that she won't drift to sleep anytime soon, Ty'ani decided that a quick stroll might do the trick. Pulling off her nightshirt and putting on her standard clothes and her cloak, she ventured out of the dorm.

Walking through the door, the sounds of the tavern immediately hit her ears, the cacophony of noise greeting her as she wondered further into the break room. The bard's music was in full swing and people who only an hour ago were withdrawn and gloomy, were now singing and celebrating.

Quite befuddled, Ty'ani eased her way through the crowd and slipped out the exit.

The cold of the night air assaulted her, causing her to shiver and wrap her fur cloak around herself. As she stepped off the porch, she turned her eyes to the sky, seeing the twin moons beaming down in full clarity, not a cloud in sight. She huffed as she studied the orange aurora, knowing that this night wasn't ideal for mischief of any kind, it was far too bright.

With that in mind, she instead walked toward the bridge that lead out of the hamlet. Stopping in the centre of the stone bridge, she leant against the wall, allowing the breeze to brush through her loosened locks. She sighed as she watched the stream below her rush by, allowing herself to relax.

Her ears twitched as she caught the distant noise of howling. Wolves were very common place in this part of Skyrim, so it came as no surprise that they were wondering these plains. Either way, the noise was quite soothing, so Ty'ani closed her eyes and let the sounds of nature brush her ears with their song.

"Septim for your thoughts."

Startled, Ty'ani jerked to the side, as a voice that didn't belong to any of her companions spoke directly into her ear. Fur standing on end, she drew the dagger she had concealed, pointing it in the direction of the voice. She blinked in surprise though, as there was no one there. "What in the Gods name?" she murmured to herself, utterly befuddled. She lowered her weapon, wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her. She must be more exhausted then she thought.

With a frown, she hid her dagger and turned back towards the village with the intent of returning to the Inn. As she turned, her sight was filled, not with the buildings of the hamlet, but a figure standing with his arms crossed before her.

"Boo." he whispered calmly as Ty'ani's heart missed a beat.

Jumping back in surprise with a yell, the Khajiit girl took a moment to steady herself as her mind slowly processed who was in front of her. The black and red scales, the golden eye, the smirking face. Not to mention the Dark Brotherhood armour. She knew this man, or rather Argonian.

"Well, is this not a happy coincidence." he said slowly, quite obviously amused by her fright.

Ty'ani blinked, looking him up and down, mouth agape. Pointing a finger at him, she finally managed to speak. "You!"

The Argonian uncrossed his arms and spread them out, the smirk still persisting. "Me!" he exclaimed in a mocking tone.

"What are you doing here?" Ty'ani demanded.

"Why, enjoying the celebration of course." he answered. "I did just solve the ghost mystery after all."

That was a little surprising. Ty'ani never would have guessed that he would do such a thing, due to his profession. Not that assassins weren't formidable warriors, but she thought that he wouldn't be all that interested in assisting a village, unless it benefited him. That's what she thought of assassins after all.

Shaking those thoughts away, Ty'ani began again. "Well, what are you doing out here then? Shouldn't you be enjoying the celebration in there?" she pointed toward the Inn, where the faded noise of cheering could still be heard even from here.

The Argonian placed his fists on his hips, looking away from her as the side of his scaly lips twitched. "Well you see, party's are nice but they are not for me. Too many people." he looked back to the Khajiit. "Besides, you are one to talk. Why are you not in there taking advantage of those poor drunken fools, hmm?"

Ty'ani frowned, crossing her arms defensively. "That is none of your business."

The assassin raised his hands up in surrender at her tone. "All right. I merely assumed that was the reason you were here. What other reason could you possibly have to come to this arse-end of the Rift?"

"None of your business." Ty'ani hissed again. "You are incredibly nosy."

He smirked, moving to the stone wall of the bridge. "What can I say, it is part of my charm." he leaned his hip against it, his tail flicking slightly as he bore his golden eye into her. "I never had the chance to introduce myself before, did I? The name is Okan-Ru, in case you were wondering. And I already know your name... Ty'ani."

Needless to say, Ty'ani was a little put out that he knew her name so readily. Her ears flattened slightly as her tail twitched to showcase her unease, spying his eyes zoom in on the movement. Shivering from his scrutiny and from the chill of the night air, Ty'ani wrapped her cloak around herself as she too moved to the wall, lightly perching upon it. Clearing her throat once situated, she spoke again. "Well, _Okan-Ru_ , care to explain why you were stalking me?"

To his credit, the Argonian assassin did put on a convincing show of looking offended at her question. "Stalking you? Oh, perish the thought my dear lady. I merely saw you standing there, silhouetted against the light of the moons, as lonely as a butterfly on a spring evening." he said in a rich _romantic_ tone. "I thought to myself, that one as lovely you should never be alone on such a dark night."

At his words, Ty'ani only gave him a look of disbelief. "Such flowery words for a killer. Was that rehearsed, or did you come up with that on the spot?"

Surprisingly, Okan-Ru laughed at her bluntness. "I am jesting with you. Though it makes for a pleasant image, no?"

Rolling her eyes before returning them to the river, Ty'ani continued her line of questioning. "So, what's the real reason your here in the 'arse-end of the Rift', as you so bluntly put it?"

Smirking, Okan-Ru slowly replied. "Between you and me: Dark Brotherhood business. That is as much as you will get out of me."

"Oh, I see how it is." she grumbled. "Your business too high class for me to understand, is that it?"

"Not at all, I simply thought that you would not wish to know that a killer is readying himself for a murder tonight."

That made Ty'ani feel uneasy all over again. She slowly looked over to him, her anxiety evident in her eyes. "Your not going to..." she trailed off.

Okan-Ru stared into her eyes, raising a brow adored with small horns. "What? Kill you? Do not be ridiculous, of course not. Why ever would I do such a thing?"

Ty'ani frowned. "Well forgive me for not understanding your very vague answers. You don't exactly make yourself easy to read."

He smirked at her flustered comment. "Is that not the point of an assassin? To hide in plain sight and kill without drawing attention to himself?"

Ty'ani rolled her eyes. "Well your doing a poor job of that then, aren't you? Why are you here wasting time talking to me when you have a job to do?"

"Because, my dear," he purred. "I cannot make a kill when my target has not even arrived yet, can I?"

The Khajiit sighed at that, pushing off the wall and landed lightly on her feet. Turning her sapphire eyes to him, she gave him a look that clearly showed her irritation. "Right, so stop wasting time talking to me then and leave me alone."

Leaving that as the final word, Ty'ani sidled past the Argonian, making her way back to the Inn. Surprisingly, he never called after her like she expected. As she reached the entrance of the Inn, she turned her gaze back to the bridge, finding that he had completely disappeared. Slightly put out but not entirely surprised, the Khajiit girl shook her head and just slipped through the door. There was a bed in there calling her name, and she believed that it was high time she fell in it.

 **OooOoOoOoOoOoO**

 _Yay, filler chapter. I'll get you guys some more action in the next chapter, I swear._

 _Oh, by the way, just to let you guys know that Altwen's armour, clothes and weapons are all mods from the Nexus. Her clothes are actually armour called Unclaimed Delivery by SkyrimForDaWin and the swords are from the same mod, her armour is the Nordic Hunter light armour by frankdema and her bow is The Huntsman by InsanitySorrow, just without the sights and stabiliser as in my opinion, bows didn't really have such things back in medieval times._


	6. Lifting the Shroud

**4E 201  
30th of Sun's Dusk**

Standing on the porch of the Vilemyr Inn early next morning, Ty'ani wrapped herself in her cloak as she exhaled, her breath visible as a puff of steam. Nearly four months into her stay in Skyrim and she still cursed the damn cold. What didn't help was the ugly looking clouds up above, ensuring the chill of the evening lingered like a leech, holding on to the land and refusing to let go. No doubt the air will begin to bring about snow that will cover all the province, which was something the Khajiit had been dreading. As a child born of the warm sands of Elsweyr, the cold was biting even through the warm fur cloak.

Needless to say, she was not looking forward to climbing the mountain today.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, her sharp eyesight spotted the first tiny glimmer of snow falling gently to the ground. Her ears flattened in irritation. "Perfect." she groaned in a low voice, folding her hood up over her head.

Wrapping the cloak tighter around herself, Ty'ani stepped off the Inn's porch, deciding to explore the little hamlet while she waited for her companions to rouse. The journey had been exhausting for all of them, so they deserve a little more time to rest. The only reason she was awake was due to her profession, as being a thief makes sleep somewhat of a luxury. Plus her hard childhood never helped, neither did her nightmares, so at this point it was habit.

Walking down the main thoroughfare, the only thing Ty'ani encountered were the guards. The farms were presently devoid of people due to the early hour, so therefore there wasn't much for her to witness. Regardless, once she reached the bridge that lead to the foot of the mountain, the view that was presented to her was spectacular. She could see the towering mountain edges that surround the Rift, leading to the volcanically active area of Eastmarch, where the channels of the volcano in Morrowind lead as well as the Velothi Mountains further east. Nearer the horizon wasn't as clear, since usually it's rumoured that Windhelm- and even the southern mountains of Winterhold on good days- can be seen from this location. The morning fog was so thick though, that it was impossible to make out the ancient Nordic city.

The Khajiit let out a tired sigh, turning away from the view and returning her attention to Ivarstead. Despite this place being very small and remote, she had to admit that the hamlet certainly had its charm. The silence and the out-of-way location made the village perfect in her mind. She had noticed on their way in yesterday that the surrounding area seemed to be devoid of the usual air of war, meaning that neither side was interested in capturing this place. Or maybe they were afraid to incur the wrath of the Greybeards. Either way, when this whole mess has been sorted, Ty'ani certainly wouldn't mind hiding out here until the war tides over.

Once that thought crossed her mind, it was then that she noticed an out of place house across the stream, just beyond the mill. It was very obviously old and crumbled, completely unlivable by all accounts. Ty'ani frowned, wondering why it was there in the first place. It seems like a waste of space and an eyesore, making her wonder why no one had even bothered to strip it down. She juggled with the idea of asking one of the nearby guards, but dismissed that thought in an instant. Personal experience told her that all she would receive is thinly veiled insults and scorn.

Deciding to leave the issue be, she began to walk back to the Inn, intent on getting a warm meal before the long hike ahead. Case and point as more snow fell from the heavens, seeming to be coming down faster with every step she took.

That was until she passed the mill, spotting movement in her peripheral vision. Turning her gaze to the right, she saw an old man in tattered clothing hopping over the rocks toward the old house. Ty'ani frowned in confusion but still quickly surmised that he was a beggar, as he had the typical look of one. It didn't take long for him to clear the stream and disappear into the old house. After a few debating moments, Ty'ani decided to follow him. The previous night she had the idea of asking some of the locals about the Greybeards, if only to get a bit more insight into what they're like. Of course, all she got in return was racism, even from the sober folks. She knew that the beggar won't care at all what she is, as long as she flashes coin his way.

Upon reaching the house though, her sensitive ears picked up muffled noises. It sounded suspiciously like screams being silenced. Slightly alarmed now, she lowered her posture and quickly flattened herself against the wall. She shuffled along, being sure to keep to the shadows- thanking every God she knows for the terrible weather for once- until she reached the corner. Taking a deep breath, she carefully peaked round, mentally preparing herself for what she may see.

It was all in vain, as what met her eyes completely shocked her.

The old beggar was on his knees and being securely held by a dark figure, his formed swathed in unnatural shadow, making it impossible to make out his features. What she did see though was that the figure had hold of the old man's head, completely covering his mouth and forcing his head back far enough to be painful. The figure's other hand had both the beggar's in an iron clad fist, completely immobilising him. But the one thing that had bile rising up Ty'ani's throat, was that the attacker had his jaws around the old man's neck. It took the next second for her senses to recognise the scent of blood in the air. After that, it didn't take long for the Khajiit girl to figure out what she was seeing.

A vampire.

Her sapphire eyes bugging out in fear, watching with rapt disgust as the vampire pulled the elder's head further back while whipping his jaws away from the throat he was feasting on, tearing out the jugular with the motion. Ty'ani covered her mouth to silence her yell when crimson blood poured from the rip, her stomach roiling as the beggar gurgled and drowned in his own blood. The killer released his hold on the man, allowing the body to slump down with a sickening sound.

Unable to take the sight any longer, she whipped back round the corner, fighting with the urge to throw up on the spot. Ty'ani had never encountered things such as vampires before, her own sense of paranoia allowed her to stay on her toes and immediately run the other direction whenever she found evidence of them. Thus, she had never witnessed a vampire feeding upon their victims either. She wished that she never had now.

Taking calming breaths through her nose, removing her hand from her mouth as she did so, she inched back to the corner and slowly peaked around.

The poor old man was still laying face down in the dirt, whatever was left of his blood leaking out of the grotesque wound in his throat. The vampire on the other hand was gone. Relief exploded in her chest, thinking that she was lucky to have missed the creature's attention. Divines only knew what she could have done, as all the defence she has is her small dagger. She's not even wearing her armour, just plain clothes believing that she didn't need the protection. More the fool she is.

However, before the thought of leaving and forgetting what she saw even crossed her mind, that was when a large hand covered her mouth and pulled her against a solid mass. She let out a shriek, which was completely muffled thanks to the hand, grabbing the wrist in a bid to remove it. No such luck unfortunately as she began to struggle, only for the person who grabbed her to wrap his other hand around her waist to keep her still. Knowing that she couldn't break out of the hold, she stilled and snapped her hand to her hidden knife, only for her captor to beat her to it and smoothly slipped her weapon out of its holster with practised ease. Her mind raced as he threw it to the ground, attempting to work out how on Nirn he knew that her dagger was kept there.

Her body shook in fear as she sensed him lean in closer, his now free hand pulling her hood off her head so his lips brushed her sensitive ear. "I commemorate you." he whispered, his baritone voice like liquid and _very_ familiar. "Once again, you astound me with your skill. You truly have the making of a practised thief, don't you?"

Ty'ani's wide eyes blinked. Surely it can't be him, the assassin. What was his name again?

She didn't have long to wonder however, as he spoke once again. "I have no doubt that you saw everything, my dear; therefore I have no delusions of whether you know what I am or not. Believe me when I say that I will not harm you." to be frank, Ty'ani wasn't even sure if she believed him at all. As far as she was concerned, vampires were merciless killers that drain their victims of their life-force with little regard of their lives. Dangerous and feral creatures that cared only for their next kill. Having said that though, the last two times she met the assassin he was very dignified, if a little aloof, not at all like the stories she'd heard. Despite that, she still didn't relax. He may have never gestured aggressively toward her before, that didn't mean she would trust him, especially not now.

As these thoughts whirled round her mind, he continued speaking. "I am going to release you now, but you must promise not to scream."

She fought with the decision for only a few seconds until she made up her mind. She could very well scream out and alert the guards to their presence, but that would be going back on her word. Ty'ani may be many things, but a breaker of promises was not one of them, even toward a vampire. She did have a sense of self honour after all, in spite of her ways in larceny. Plus if she did scream, she wouldn't put it past him to either snap her neck in an instant or disappear completely- possibly both- making her look the fool. With that in mind, she nodded her head.

He said nothing to her as his grip loosened, and merely stood there and watched as she flung herself away, spun and flattened against the wall, eyeing him warily. Looking upon him, Ty'ani couldn't help but feel a small sense of panic rising up when she caught sight of blood clumping the fur of his cloak. Her eyes roamed his face, taking in small details about him that she failed to notice before. Such as the fact that his black and red scales were dulled, lacking the usual lustre of a healthy Argonian, and his one golden eye held an inner light that only now did she realized was completely unnatural, added with the subtle hint of lifelessness within the orb. Seeing all these details now only made her mentally kick herself for not seeing it sooner.

The assassin- whom she now remembered was called Okan-Ru- allowed her to scrutinize him, amusement flooding into his 'healthy' eye as a smirk began to form. "You look like a rabbit caught in torchlight." he commented off-handedly.

Ty'ani swallowed, finding her throat was suddenly dry, as she fought for what to say in response. She knew what she _should_ say, but the words died before they even made it from her thoughts. Instead, she said the first thing that made it out of her tight airways. "You're a-a... a-"

The corner of Okan-Ru's lips rose up even more at her stammering. "Yes?" he drawled mockingly.

Swallowing again, Ty'ani tried for a second time. "You're a vampire."

He merely nodded in response. "Indeed I am." he rumbled, placing his fists on his hips as his eyes rolled. "Granted, that was not the most dignified way I could have revealed that knowledge, but the Gods are truly fickle in their ways, are they not?"

She had nothing to say to that. What could she say though? It wasn't every day that someone whom one is an acquaintance with is revealed to be an undead, bloodsucking monster. So again, she said the first thing that came to mind, her voice becoming shaky. "You _killed_ that man."

"But of course," Okan-Ru replied without blinking and with no hesitation. "He was my contract. It was just his bad luck that he arrived today and I happened to be hungry. Not a clean kill, but it gets the job done. After all, who will miss a crazy old beggar, hmm?"

She shivered at that. The thought wasn't pleasant, but he was right. Nobody would ever miss him, or even know how he died. Except for her that is. With that thought stuck in her mind, she once again caught Okan-Ru's gaze. "But why?"

The assassin only shook his head at her question. "I told you, he was my contract. I do not tend to ask why our clients want these people dead, I just do the deed."

Frankly, Ty'ani felt very insecure right now. The fact that he didn't think twice about murdering a defenceless old man made him all the more frightening, and she couldn't help but fret about her own life now. "So what happens now? Are you going to kill me too?" she shakily inquired, genuinely afraid about what his answer would be.

He stared at her for only a second, shaking his head as he stepped closer. She tensed as he leant his arm on the wall beside her head, looking down at her with an intense look. "No. An assassin and a vampire I may be, but that does not mean I don't posses a sense of honour. There is no point in killing you, as I never kill for pleasure."

The Khajiit eyed him suspiciously, attempting to guess what his game was. It was nigh impossible to read him, so therefore she had no idea if he was being sincere or not. Also, with him towering over and cornering her with is much larger form, it didn't help her unease in the slightest. Still, she glared up at him defiantly. "So what's stopping me from running and telling the guards of your secret?" she challenged.

He rose a brow in response, letting out an amused huff. "Secret? My lady, I beg to differ. I do not recall ever with-holding anything from you, all I did was make it not obvious. It is _you_ that failed to notice." satisfied that he made his point- upon seeing her whirling thoughts followed by reluctant acceptance of his words- he pushed away from his position on the wall, leaning back on one foot and crossing his arms. "As for your question, my answer is nothing." seeing her confusion, he elaborated. "I cannot possibly keep you from revealing what I am at all. No threat I make will frighten you into submission, you are far too... shall we say, _special_ , for that. So you may run off and tell the guards of what you have seen if you so wish, but by the time they arrive, I will be long gone and I will never be found again. Keep that in mind."

Needless to say, Okan-Ru's answer was totally unexpected. If she was honest, she was actually expecting threats made toward her, so his off-handed remark threw an oversized cog in the mechanics. She easily read what he was telling her between the lines as well. If she did go off claiming that she saw a vampire, the guards would most likely ignore her on account of her race, as sad and petty as it was. Even if they did believe her, he will be gone when the guards get there and worse case scenario, she would be called every name under the sun. So really, what was the point?

However, the last thing to register in her mind was when he called her special. Whatever did he mean by that? Did he already know about her being Dragonborn? Or was it something else?

Deciding to voice her thoughts, she asked. "What do you mean I'm far too special?"

He only smiled at her question, answering cryptically. "You soon figure it out, of that I am sure." after that, he began to back away. "But, I am afraid our time together grows short. I must return to the shadows and I'm sure you have much business to attend to also."

Frowning, Ty'ani pushed off the wall as well, glaring at the retreating Argonian. "Wait, you mean you're just going to leave?"

He continued backing away, smiling at her as he reached the back corner of the house. Here he paused, presenting her with an elegant bow. "Until we meet again... Ty'ani." he purred, and just like that, he disappeared round the corner.

Scowling, Ty'ani jogged over to the end of the house- after retrieving her knife- intent on calling him back to explain himself. However, as she turned the corner, all that met her eyes were the mill and rushing stream. He had completely disappeared. Frowning in confusion, she looked around in a bid to catch sight of him. She even ran the perimeter of the old house, but found neither head nor hide of him. How could he have just vanished into thin air like that?

Befuddled, Ty'ani jumped back across the rocks that spanned the stream and stepped back into the hamlet proper. It was only then that she realized that the snow had picked up, as she now possessed white specks of frost in her ebony hair. She rubbed her hands through the loose locks before folding her hood back over her head and hugging her cloak, making her way back to the Inn. No doubt her companions would be awake and eating a warm breakfast by now, she'd better get back and join them, and hopefully put this encounter out of her mind.

As she climbed the Inn's porch and slipped inside, she had no luck as the images of that poor beggar kept repeating in her mind. Once the warmth hit her body, the Khajiit unravelled her cloak and unclipped it from round her neck. As she slipped it off her shoulders, that was when a hand slapped lightly on her back, startling her. Her heart skipped a beat as she whipped around, seeing a grinning Altwen behind her.

"Have a good walk, Kitten?" she asked joyfully, ignoring Ty'ani's brief fright.

Clearing her throat, the girl nodded. "Yes, it was fine."

"Oh really?" the half-elf challenged, cocking an elegant red brow. "'Cus it looks to me like you've seen a ghost, ya fur's standin' on end."

Ty'ani frowned at her, placing a hand on a shapely hip. "Well, that might have something to do with you surprising me like that." she groused, stomping toward the dormitory.

"Oh, come on Kitten," Altwen laughed, following behind her. "It was only a bit of fun. You need to loosen up, your strung way too tight." she smiled as they entered the dorm, encountering Lydia and Haema readying themselves for the day ahead. She leant against the wall as the Khajiit dumped her cloak on the rented bed, smirking as an idea came to her head. "You know what you need though, don't ya Sweets?"

Ty'ani rolled her eyes as she pulled her comb and hair tie from a pocket in her pack, beginning to brush her hair. "I don't know, but I have a feeling your about to tell me."

Altwen's smirk widened at that. " _You_ need to have a good fuck."

Ty'ani tensed at that, embarrassment flowing through her at the half-elf's off-handed suggestion, the comb paused half way through her thick locks. Haema and Lydia on the other hand glared at the woman, the taller of the two Nords boring her icy gaze at her disapprovingly. "That is highly inappropriate, Altwen." the blonde Nord remarked.

"Hey, it's true though. Everyone needs a good roll in the sheets every so often." she pushed off the wall, coming to stand at Ty'ani's side, wrapping an arm round the girl's shoulders. "Tell ya what, the second we get a chance, I'll help you find a good man to tumble with. Or a good woman, dependin' on what ya fancy."

Face heating up, Ty'ani rolled her shoulders to shake off Altwen's arm, finishing with the brush and started to bunch half her hair up into its usual style. "No thank you, I'm fine. I don't need... _that_."

"Come on." the red-head huntress goaded. "You know you need it."

"No, I don't." the Khajiit retorted, tying the half ponytail and dropped the comb in her pack as she grabbed her coin-purse, heading out the dormitory with the half-elf behind her. "I never have and never intent to in the future."

At her words, Altwen paused, staring at the girl in astonishment. Her forest eyes bugged out as her jaw opened in shock. "Hold a moment. Are you tellin' me that you've literally _never_ had sex before?"

Ty'ani winced at that, spying a couple of people glance their way with curious looks. Ears flattening, she lowered her voice to a murmur as she reached the bar. "Altwen, please not so loud."

Unfortunately, the half-elf paid little regard to her request, her eyes and mouth widening even further, if that was even possible. "You've gotta be jokin'. Tell me that you're jokin'."

The Khajiit's head sank deeper into her shoulders as the woman continued. "Altwen." she warned as she fidgeted uncomfortably.

"By Gods, you're not jokin'!" the huntress practically shouted. "You're really a virgin, seriously?"

Becoming increasingly embarrassed by the attention they were attracting, the Khajiit whirled upon the woman. "Altwen, I don't want to talk about this!"

Yet again though, the huntress ignored her. "That's so unbelievable. There's no way that no one's ever attempted to jump in the sheets with you, your _way_ too sexy to be left alone."

"Altwen!" the girl finally yelled, silencing the woman instantly. "I don't want to talk about this, I'm not in the mood! Just... go away!"

"All right, sheesh." the red head said raising her hands in surrender, frowning at the small Khajiit. "What's gotten down your breeches this mornin', you on your monthly bleed or somethin'?"

"Altwen!"

"All right, all right, I'm goin'." she said at last, backing away from the fuming Khajiit and made her way to her single room, muttering the whole way. "Crazy, hormonal little terror, seriously, the bloody Oblivion was that all about?"

The huntress pushed her way to the room, breezing past Alasse as she exited her room, already clad in her blue robe. She glanced at the door as it closed behind the half-elf, cocking a brow. She turned away before long, locking gazes with Ty'ani as she stepped toward the bar. "I do not wish to know."

Leaning on the counter, Ty'ani rubbed her temples as she attempted to calm her embarrassment. "No, you really don't." she affirmed to the Altmer as she stepped to her side. At that point, the tavern owner returned from serving other customers, looking at the Khajiit uneasily.

"Rough morning, huh?"

Ty'ani only shrugged in response, straightening from the counter. Bunching parts of her hair in a fist, she and Alasse ordered some broth for themselves, retreating to a back table as they waited for the rest of the party to appear. They didn't have to wait long before Lydia and Haema joined them, each clad in the clothing they wore beneath their armour. Once seated, the blonde Nord regarded the Khajiit with concern.

"Has something happened recently, Ty'ani? You seem awfully distant."

Swallowing down a mouthful of warm stew, Ty'ani leant back in the chair and let out a sigh as she rubbed her eyes. She debated telling her companions about what she saw many moments ago, but if she was honest she didn't really want to burden them with it. Okan-Ru may have frightened her with the reveal of his vampirism, but deep down she knew that he won't be a bother to her. Therefore, there wouldn't really be much point telling the others. "No nothing's happened. I'm fine Haema, thank you for asking." she finally settled on. "I just didn't have a decent nights sleep, that's all."

Haema nodded at that. "Ah, I see. The night terrors again, is it?"

The Khajiit frowned at that, staring at the Nord in confusion. How did she know? Was it really that obvious? Seeing her expression, Haema merely smiled. "You tend to notice those sort of things when you become a parent." she assured, patting the girl on the shoulder.

Blinking, Ty'ani cleared her throat before replying. "Well actually, no, it's not the night terrors. Surprisingly, I didn't have any last night. I suppose I've just grown into the habit of waking early."

"Fair enough."

After a moment of silence, Lydia quickly finished off her breakfast- no doubt a habit her guard training drilled into her- clearing her throat as she straightened in her seat. "My Thane, if you would permit me- the mountain winds are going to be unforgiving at this time. Therefore, I believe it wise if we stock up on fire wood before beginning the trek."

Ty'ani couldn't help but agree with her. With the air getting colder down here in the village, then it was going to be a nightmare up on the mountain. Plus, it would be difficult to find wood up the trail that would be suitable to burn, as wet wood wasn't very ideal. She nodded in agreement to Lydia's suggestion. "Okay, we'll all ready ourselves and go together. The more of us there are, the more wood we can carry."

The companions swiftly agreed, finishing up their meals and retreating to their respective rooms. Once they were all ready, they paid the tavern owner and exited the Inn, heading for the saw mill.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The village had become more lively once the group was prepared, farmers tending to their crops and millers working at the mill. Upon paying the mill owner for the spare wood, they wasted no time in going to the bridge leading to the seven-thousand steps. Before crossing the bridge though, they noticed that there were a couple of men standing there. One was a Nord, the other a Bosmer. As they got closer, they caught wind of their conversation.

"On your way up the seven-thousand steps again, Klimmek?" the Bosmer farmer asked.

The Nord- Klimmek- shook his head. "Not today. I'm just not ready to make the journey up to High Hrothgar, the path isn't safe."

The Bosmer frowned. "Aren't the Greybeards expecting some sort of delivery."

"To be honest, I'm not sure. I'm yet to be allowed into the monastery. Perhaps one day."

As the two began to walk away, Ty'ani ran ahead to catch the attention of the Nord. It seemed he had been up the mountain before, so she had hope that he could give her a little more information about High Hrothgar before leaving. "Excuse me, ser?" she called out to the Nord, watching as he turned to look to her. Stopping before him, he smiled at her.

"Never seen you here before, stranger. Passing through on your way to High Hrothgar? Was about to make a delivery up there myself." he exclaimed.

"I am actually." she confirmed. "I was wondering if you knew anything about the monastery? A little advice for a novice pilgrim?"

He smiled at that. "Well, I've been up to the monastery many times, but never laid eyes on any of the Greybeards, not that I'd care to. Being masters of the Thu'um, they could kill you by uttering a single word." seeing her uneasy expression, his smile widened. "Well, not that they would. They seem peaceful, but I wouldn't want to provoke them."

Ty'ani bit her lip, not feeling at all at ease with the answer. Either way, she continued on. "Okay, well, what sort of deliveries do you make?"

"Mostly food supplies like dried fish and salted meats." he explained. "You know, things that keep fresh for a long time. The Greybeards tend to not get out much, if you catch my meaning."

"And in return?" Ty'ani asked, genuinely curious.

Klimmek crossed his arms, inhaling a breath before answering. "Well, it's kind of an understanding between us. I mean, it just wouldn't feel right to charge them for a bit of preserved food." he sighed then, tapping the side of his thigh. "Trouble is, my legs aren't what they used to be and climbing the seven-thousand steps takes its toll."

Feeling a little sorry for him, Ty'ani immediately piped up. "Well, since I'm heading that way, I could deliver it for you."

The Nord's brows rose, a surprised smile growing on his face. "Really? Well that would be kind of you. Wait here a moment and I'll get the supplies for you." he stepped around her, jogging toward a nearby house. Ty'ani watched him go, until Altwen came up behind her.

"Makin' friends, Kitten?" she asked.

"So to speak." she replied.

The half-elf smiled at that. "So we're luggin' around an extra pack then?"

Ty'ani shrugged. "I just thought it would be nice to do this for him, since we are heading that way."

"I'm not judgin', Sweets." Altwen reassure. "It's not often anyone willin'ly does jobs for others. You keep hold of that kind spirit o' yours."

A tiny smile emerged on the Khajiit's face at that, gazing behind the huntress to see the others looking toward her. It was more likely that they had no idea what she was doing, but either way she was sure that they would approve. Yet another layer to cover her true profession, but she really didn't like to think of it that way, even if it was true. It was a miracle in itself that her Housecarl didn't decide to tell them the truth.

It didn't take long for Klimmek to return, a good sized knapsack in hand. Standing before her, he handed the pack over. "Here you are. At the top of the steps you'll see the offering chest. Just leave the bag inside and you're done." as she took the sack from him, Klimmek continued. "You best keep your wits about you up there. Usually only wolf packs tend to lurk around the path, but this time of year is when trolls come out of hiding. Other than that, watch your footing. In these wintry conditions, the stairs can be treacherous."

Nodding, she bid him farewell before rejoining the group. As one, they crossed the bridge and began the trek up the path.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Ivarstead soon disappeared below the mist as the five women climbed, the air become increasingly colder with every step they took. Firm mountain gusts caused cloaks to flutter, biting against exposed skin and sucking out any semblance of warmth that may have existed. The snow had now began to fall faster, the flakes fattening the higher they went. The icy winds even forced Haema and Lydia to wrap up, despite their natural resistance to the chill. Alasse had an extra fur cloak wrapped round her as well as her shawl, but she had summoned a small fire spell which gave off the barest amount of heat for them. Without shelter to trap the warmth however, it was very faint. As they climbed higher, Altwen had pulled a makeshift fur shawl from seemingly nowhere and it was now draped over her shoulders and cloak. Ty'ani on the other hand, was finding it incredibly difficult to stay warm.

Every step the Khajiit took felt sluggish, the chill somehow worming its way through her cloak and making her limbs feel numb and lethargic. No matter how tightly she hugged the fur around herself, or how much she rubbed her arms and hands, it was impossible for her to keep the warmth in. It didn't help that the snow continued to speed up.

It became harder to trudge through the increasing snow upon the ground, the gusts and snow almost impairing their vision. It finally got to the point where Ty'ani had become numb, when her body _stopped_ shivering, which was not a good sign. But it was until after that revelation that the Khajiit placed her foot down, only for it to slip from under her when her boot found no purchase against the icy steps. Unprepared, and with the chill decreasing her reaction time, Ty'ani toppled forward onto her hands and knees with a yell. Her gloved fingerless hands sank into the snow, completely soaking them.

The party immediately stopped upon hearing her cry out. The Khajiit leant up on her knees, burying her frozen hands under her armpits in a fruitless effort to warm them up. Alasse reacted instantly, manoeuvring toward the girl and kneeled beside her, bringing her conjured flame closer to her. Ty'ani sighed, both in thanks and in discomfort, as the warmth somewhat stung her face since she was so cold.

The high-elf gazed up to the others, a concerned look emerging on her face. "We cannot carry on like this for much longer," she informed them. "We must find shelter now."

Haema rose her hand up to block the snow, looking over toward the horizon to assess the weather. Squinting against the wind and snow, she grimaced upon seeing the ugly grey clouds beginning to darken. "I agree, the storm's getting worse." she said to them over the howl of the wind.

"Oh yeah, sure." Altwen yelled back. "I really doubt there'll be a cave up here, best we can do is find the biggest rock formation we can and hide behind it."

"At this point, it's the only thing we can do." Haema retaliated. Moving over to the downed Khajiit, the blonde Nord knelt at her side while giving Lydia a sidelong look. "Lydia, take the food supplies." her tone left no room for argument, so the brunette followed the order instantly, slugging the pack over her shoulder. Haema wrapped her hand around the girl's waist and pulled her to her feet.

Meanwhile, Altwen was squinting through the storm, attempting to see through the gales for a suitable place for them to bunker down. Amazingly, she managed to find a collection of boulders that somewhat blocked the winds. "Hey, over here. We can hide behind those rocks."

The five of them, with Haema supporting Ty'ani, made it to the formation. Immediately, Altwen began to gather up stones to make a fire, placing them in a circle before stacking the firewood she had. Once she was done, she stepped back, allowing Alasse to shoot forth the flames she had conjured. The logs caught fire instantly, allowing the flame to spread between them and increase in size.

Upon Haema releasing her to help the others clear out the snow, Ty'ani had huddled up against the boulder, her arms crossed over her chest and her thighs pressed against her body. By Gods, she was so cold and so exhausted. At this high altitude, the air had become thinner, forcing her to take shorter breaths, which didn't help at all. She pressed her chin against her chest, trying to make herself as small as possible to trap whatever warmth she had left. The fire helped, but it was still faint.

In the next moment though, someone sat beside her and without a word, shuffled very close to her side and wrapped an arm around her. The Khajiit gasped in surprise, feeling a bit of metal armour against her waist and thighs, meaning that one of only two people in the group had removed part of their armour so as to not accidentally hurt her. Also, wearing the armour while hugging her would not have done anything, since the metal would be stone cold. Either way, the person hugging her, due to the armour, could either be Haema or... Lydia? But that couldn't be; the brunette woman had made it clear that she doesn't like her, so there was no way that she would lower herself to this level.

Looking up though, she found to her absolute surprise that the person hugging her was indeed Lydia. She gaped in astonishment. The woman had a determined look on her face, as though she didn't want to really be here but also didn't want the Khajiit to freeze either.

Her mind going blank, Ty'ani said the first thing that came to mind. "What are you doing?"

Lydia gave her a indignant look, her lips thinning before replying. "I'm sharing my body heat with you."

Ty'ani frowned a little at that. "I know that, but why?" she questioned.

"Because," Lydia answered with a hint of annoyance. "Despite my reservations of travelling along side you, I cannot very well allow you to freeze to death. As my Thane, it's my duty to protect you. Also, as Dragonborn, you are far too important to lose now. I admit that I despise being this close to you, but honour demands that I do not allow you to die."

Wonders will never cease apparently. Thinking it best not to question this any further, Ty'ani instead left the issue be and accepted it. Before long, she had begun to warm up and without realizing it, she had leant in closer to Lydia, a low unconscious purr resounding in her throat.

On her part, Lydia was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. If she had any other choice, then she would never had been here in the first place. Damn her and her soft heart. Her discomfort wasn't because she hated Ty'ani's race, far from that. In her opinion, the Khajiit were unfairly treated and she felt nothing but sorrow for them, having been forced to stay out of cities and suffer Skyrim's environment. No, her discomfort sported from having the little thief so close to her.

Glancing down at her, the girl seemed far too content leaning against her like that. She refused to think that she was _snuggling_ , because the brunette didn't think her pride could take that blow, it was already wounded enough. The purring didn't help in the slightest, only rubbed more salt into the wound.

Lydia snapped her gaze around when she heard faint laughing, seeing Altwen looking their way from the other side of the fire, mirth alight in her forest eyes. "Aw, look at you two. So cute." she gushed mockingly.

Scowling, Lydia growled back. "Don't even start."

Raising her hands up in surrender, Altwen continued. "Hey, I'm not judging Sunshine. You two can start dry humpin' each other for all I care."

Lydia fumed at that, but made no move to dignify that with a response. She just rolled her eyes grumpily and attempted to numb herself from the Khajiit's closeness.

Alasse however, becoming increasingly annoyed with the huntress, scowled at her. "I suggest you cease your incessant comments now. We are all exhausted and are in no mood to handle your inappropriate behaviour."

In return, Altwen merely waved an uncaring hand. "Yeah yeah, I hear ya. But surely even you understand that a little humour never hurt anyone, 'specially considerin' how tired we all are."

"If it is all the same to you, Altwen," Haema began. "We all really could do without any humour right now, just allow us to rest until the storm dies down."

The red head rolled her eyes at that. "Ugh, fine." she drawled like a child, crossing her arms. "You lot are no fun."

Now in silence, the adventurers stayed huddled round the fire for just under an hour, taking advantage of what time they had to have some of their rations. Only occasionally did they have a brief banter with one another, but that was only to drown out the deafening silence- discounting the howling winds.

Before too long, the winds and snow began to die down enough to continue the climb. It was still freezing cold, but at least they could get a move on now. Packing up their loose equipment, and Alasse dousing the fire with a simple ice spell, they prepared to continue their trek. Gazing over the side of the mountain, Ty'ani discovered that she couldn't see what lay below as the surrounding area was covered with thick fog. Frowning, she looked over to her companions. "How long have we been climbing?" she asked, as she couldn't judge the time for herself since the grey clouds thoroughly hid the sun from view.

Altwen answered her instantly. "I'd estimate 'round a quarter of the day. So if we pick up the pace, we'll probably have the time to climb back down before nightfall."

"Then we had better get moving." Haema added. "The sooner we reach the Greybeards, the sooner we can get out of this cold."

"I'm all for that." Ty'ani agreed, picking up Klimmek's supplies once hers were in place. "Let's go."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoO**

Hours later, the winds had yet again begun to pick up but thus far hadn't worsened the snow, much to the relief of the five. On the journey up, the only trouble they had run into was a single ice wolf, it's thick pelt shaggy and physic gaunt, as though it hadn't had a meal in days. It was easy to put the starve crazed animal out of it's misery, though they sensed that there were others nearby but for whatever reason, the creatures left them alone for the time being.

Before long, just as the freezing gusts began to get to them again, they turned a corner to encounter a bronze statue. The statue was of a man, clad in ancient armour and a glorious cloak, his head covered with a horned helm and was lowered. The hands rested on the hilt of a sword, which was impaled in a snake-like creature. This statue was one that the group instantly recognised, as it was quite commonplace over the province.

A depiction of Talos.

They looked upon the statue in awe. While Ty'ani was not a follower of Talos in any regard, she couldn't help but admit that there was a certain feeling of reverence while staring at it. Haema and Lydia smiled contently at it as well, pressing a fist on their chests in respect for whom the statue represented. Alasse meanwhile merely appreciated the symbolism rather than the religious significance.

Altwen on the other hand placed a flat hand on her chest, a blank expression on her face. It wasn't clear what was running through her thoughts, but it was clear that she too was paying respects to the Nordic God.

Looking past the statue, Ty'ani finally got a glimpse of a large and dark tower, so dark that the stones were almost black if not for the snow layered over top. That aside, there were little signs of the structure being withered or aged, showcasing the ancient Nords' dedication to building their structures to last. There also was an air of reverence around the very structure itself, similar to what one would feel in a temple. In fact, if Ty'ani hadn't known before, she would had assumed it was exactly that.

Turning back to look to her companions, the Khajiit took a breath. "Well, we made it."

"Thank the Gods." Altwen moaned. "Let's go in then, I'm freezin' my tits off."

The five climbed the main staircase leading to the twin sets of stairs that ended with two sets of metal doors on either side, as well as a platform in between that housed a large chest. This must be the offering chest that Klimmek mentioned. Taking off the hefty pack, Ty'ani approached the chest, opening it and placing the bag inside. Lowering the lid back down, she glanced at the others.

Smiling, Haema gestured to one of the doors. "Go on, Ty'ani. You should be the first to enter."

Looking back toward the doors, the Khajiit took a deep breath, beginning to climb the stairs. As she pushed open the doors, the wind blew mournfully into the opening as they stepped inside. Once they were all in, they quickly closed the doors, shutting out the cold.

Before them was a cavernous chamber, the outside of which was alight with braziers which produced both light and warmth. A pleasant change from the weather beyond the walls. Several hallways lined the sides, no doubt leading to more of the monastery, with a large platform up ahead. It had two sets of stairs flanking it, leading to several sets of doors, similar to the ones they entered from. Most likely, they lead back outside. However, as they studied the area, they found no sign of a living soul.

Stepping further in, the group took the opportunity to look around some more. "Wow." Altwen commented. "Ancient Nords really liked their high ceilin's, don't they?" she smirked then, nudging Alasse with an elbow. "Hey, you think they were tryin' to compensate for somethin'?"

Alasse in return only gave the half-elf an acidic look, not replying at all.

Also ignoring Altwen, Haema smiled as she gazed around. "I truly never believed that I would be standing here, in High Hrothgar. It is... a strange feeling, I will admit."

"Yes, but..." Lydia began, glancing around also. "Where are the Greybeards?"

Looking around warily herself, Ty'ani bit her lip as she stepped further in, clearing her throat nervously. "Hello?" she called out. "Anyone here?" she waited a moment, but she received no answer. She frowned in confusion, turning to glance back at the party, seeing they were just as lost as she was.

Altwen shrugged. "Guess nobody's home." she said off-handedly. Ty'ani couldn't help but feel annoyed about that. Why call her to climb this forsaken mountain if no one was going to be here to meet her? What an absolute waste.

However just as that thought crossed her mind, her ear twitched upon catching the sound of soft footfalls. Snapping her gaze to the right, she spotted an old bearded man garbed in grey hooded robes emerging from the hallway. As he stepped into the chamber, three other monks also appeared from seemingly nowhere, each clad in a similar fashion as the first. They congregated in the centre of the chamber, each folding their hands into their oversized sleeves. A moment later, one stepped forth, studying the party with a scrutinising look.

"Which of you is the Dragonborn?" he asked in a withered, but strong voice.

After giving her companions an uncertain look, Ty'ani took a deep breath before stepping forward and removing her hood from her head. Her hands curled into fists as the old man studied her with a cocked brow, almost as if he didn't believe that she was the Dragonborn. Either way, Ty'ani still ended up wringing her hands together uneasily as he appraised her, as if he was staring directly into her soul. After a few more silent seconds, he finally spoke. "An unusual Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of the age. How interesting..."

The Khajiit frowned in confusion. Whatever did he mean by that? It can't be so unusual that a Dragonborn is a Khajiit, right? "Erm.." she voiced back. "I erm... I was wondering if you could help me?"

"Ah," the elder nodded. "That entirely depends on your definition of 'help'. But first, let us see if you truly are Dragonborn. Let us taste of your Voice."

Ty'ani blinked. "You mean... Shout at you? Won't that hurt you?"

"Worry not." he reassured. "I will not be harmed."

The Khajiit hesitated, despite the reassurance. From the moment she received this power back in Bleak Falls Barrow, she constantly felt the strength within. Even more so after she absorbed the dragon's power and Shouted to the sky, feeling the intense aura as it was released. Therefore with that in mind, how can this old man claim that she won't hurt him when she doesn't even know the full strength of this power herself? Looking at this old man's face though, she saw confidence in her, as though he truly believed that he could resist her power. Letting out a sigh, she took a deep breath. " _Fus_!"

The familiar blue concussive wave escaped from Ty'ani's mouth, slamming into the Greybeard's chest in force, causing him to stumble back a few steps. Following that, the wave travelled past him, slamming into some pots that rested at the foot of the platform. Some of them were pushed out of position, but the rest shattered completely, causing Ty'ani to wince as the pieces spread over the floor.

From behind her, she heard Altwen let out a little laugh at her expense. Mentally making a note to punch her later, she awkwardly glanced at the old man with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

"It is... quite all right." the elder man breathed, his expression filled with astonishment. Paying no further mind to the mess, he bowed his head to her, the others at the side doing the same. "Dragonborn. It truly is you. Welcome to High Hrothgar." raising his head, he once more tucked his hands into his sleeves as he continued. "I am Master Arngeir. I speak for the Greybeards. Now, Dragonborn, may we have the honour of knowing your name?"

"My name is Ty'ani." she replied, bowing her head to the monks but quickly rose her gaze back up onto Arngeir. "If I may, who exactly are you? What is this place?"

Arngeir smiled at her questions. "You have many questions and are curious, I see. Good, you will need that curiosity for your training."

"My training?" the girl echoed in a questioning tone.

"Yes, dear child." he replied. "You will have much to learn. We will do our best to teach you how to use your gift in fulfilment of your destiny."

Ty'ani frowned at that. She really didn't like that word, _destiny_. She had a strong belief in cause and effect, and hated the idea of her life decisions being made for her. Sensing the change in her but not commenting on it, Arngeir continued as he studied each of the women. "Undoubtedly you have all travelled far, and must be exhausted. Come, allow us to present you with some refreshments."

Haema smiled in gratitude of the offer, placing a hand on her chest and bowing respectfully. "We are humbled by your hospitality, Master Arngeir, and graciously accept."

The five women followed the four elders through one of the hallways, soon emerging in a room with a large stone table in the centre with multiple chairs surrounding it. Allowing the adventurers to enter first, they each stepped inside whilst removing their equipment and cloaks. They took their seats as two of the Greybeards disappeared, while the other two seated with them. Looking around, Ty'ani spied many tapestries hanging from high on the walls. They each had symbols on them, written with the same runes that she encountered in Bleak Falls Barrow.

Before long, the other two Greybeards reappeared, baring a couple of platters which held breads, fruits and meats, as well as some water. Placing them down and when they got settled, Arngeir turned his attention to Ty'ani. "To answer your previous question, Dragonborn, we are the Greybeards, followers of the Way of the Voice. You stand in High Hrothgar, on the slopes of Kynareth's sacred mountain. Here we commune with the voice of the sky, and strive to achieve balance between our inner and outer selves." in response to his words, Ty'ani nodded in understanding. He continued on. "For the time being, your training will have to wait. In the meantime, is there anything more that you wish to know?"

Ty'ani stared at the man for a while before lowering her gaze, contemplating an appropriate answer to give. She knew what she wanted to say, but she wasn't entirely sure how to put it into words. Taking a steadying breath and steeling herself, she tentatively replied. "There is something, yes. I wish to know... is there any way for me to _remove_ my Dragonborn nature?"

A long drawn out silence filled the air after her statement. The Greybeards sat in their seats with obvious shock on their faces, staring at the Khajiit. Her companions were no different, the majority having their mouths open in astonishment. After several seconds, it was Lydia who broke the silence. "What?" she all but demanded.

Haema leant forward, placing a hand on the Khajiit's arm, causing her to turn and face the Nord. "Ty'ani, why ever would you ask that? Why would you want to remove this blessing?"

"Blessing?" the white Khajiit echoed almost venomously, turning her sapphire gaze to large woman. "I'm sorry for saying so, Haema, but to me this is not a blessing. I am in possession of a power that I _shouldn't_ even have in the first place. A Khajiit whom is on par with Tiber Septim? That's just... absurd. And forgetting the obvious ridicule I will receive, I don't want to be the Dragonborn. I don't want to own this power. I am a nobody, I'm no hero and I have no wish to be. I just want to be myself again." pausing in her rant, she turned back to the Greybeards. "You know about this power more than anyone, that is the reason I came to you, to see if you could help me in ridding myself of it. Can you?"

Arngeir gazed at her for only a moment, folding his hands upon the stone table, letting out a sigh. "We cannot." he simply replied.

Feeling her heart sink, Ty'ani's breath caught in her throat before speaking again. "Why not?"

"You are asking mere men to remove what was given to you by a Divine." he elaborated. "Such a task is impossible to achieve. A gift given by Akatosh himself is not so easily removed."

Once again, tense silence enveloped the room, all within disinclined to break it. Even Altwen didn't say a word. After some time though, Arngeir spoke again. "May I ask, young Ty'ani, do you believe your race is reason enough to make you unworthy of the Thu'um? Is it truly so unbelievable that the Gods are not blind to what you are?" at the girl's silence, he continued on. "I cannot pretend to know the Divines intentions, nor will I ever. But I shall say this: I know that your people are looked upon with little kindness, especially here in Skyrim, but in the eyes of the Gods all races are equal. When they chose you to carry the Dragon Blood, they cared only for the quality of your character, and not your race."

"But the Divines have never been a part of my life." Ty'ani admitted. "My life has been filled with hardships, and not once have I turned to the Gods and prayed for things to be better. I never saw the point of praying to beings who would never answer my calls, so why would they choose me?"

"Ah," the Greybeard intervened. "You forget that the Divines are not revered by all, but that does not sway them from watching over us. So, answer me this: why would they refuse you?"

The Khajiit stared at the old man for the longest time, mulling over the simple question. She honestly had no credible answer for him. "Because... Because..." she stammered, her gaze lowering to her folded hands. She had no idea how to answer, not without sharing her secret. She knew that if she revealed her true nature to her companions, then their opinion of her will drop dramatically. As a child whom was turned away at every point, it was understandable. But now, when she has a means to do better...

Seeing no other choice- and not believing she was actually doing this- she finally confessed. "Because I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy of a power such as this Voice, because I am a liar and a cheat." she closed her eyes to shield herself from her friends scrutiny, feeling tears beginning to form. "I'm not worthy of being the hero people need me to be, because I'd sooner take advantage of them. I am... I'm... I'm a thief, a criminal."

On her confession, silence once again filled the room. Ty'ani kept her eyes closed, fearing to look her companions in the eye now. After many moments, the girl becoming more tense by the second, Arngeir finally spoke. "I see. You believe that your criminal past makes you incapable of filling the role."

"It is not the past." she confessed once again. "It is who I am."

The elder man folded his hands on the table, making them disappear into the voluminous sleeves. "Yes, well while this revelation is quite astounding, I believe that this does not make you unworthy." that caused Ty'ani to finally snap her head up, staring incredulously at him with glossy eyes. "It was not by chance that you were chosen as the Dragonborn. Regardless of what you have done in the past or present, the Gods believed you capable of fulfilling your role. Be you a honourable warrior or a lowly criminal, that does not mean you cannot assume the responsibility."

Stunned into silence once more, Ty'ani looked between the four Greybeards with an obvious air of uncertainty, having nothing to say in response. Biting her lip, she chanced looking over to her companions. Seeing their blank expressions staring right back at her only made her feel much worse, as she couldn't gauge what they were thinking at all. After so long, with a chest tight with sorrow, she couldn't take much more. With an almost inaudible sob, she swiftly rose from the chair and ran out the room. Unsurprisingly, no one called after her.

She ran back into the main chamber, tears beginning to stream from her eyes as she climbed the stairs to the main platform. Sluggishly walking to the centre, she collapsed on her knees before falling onto her rear. She brought her knees up and wrapped her tail and arms around them as she sniffed, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

She sat there for what felt like an age, tears continuously dripping from her eyes at a steady rate. Her mind worked over time, believing that now the others knew what she was, that they would no longer want to be near her. Thieves have always been looked down upon, and her companions had proven that they were all loyal to the law of the land. They will look down on her now, that much she is certain of.

A little while later, as she continued to stare into space occasionally wiping away tears, that was when she heard foot steps approaching her. She couldn't bear to turn and see who it is, so she stayed exactly as she was, allowing the person to step up beside her. That was until the person spoke. "All curled up in a ball and starin' into space. That's never a good sign."

Altwen's voice was very recognisable, due to it's honey smooth tone and laid back slur. Looking over, she witnessed the half-elf huntress sit down beside her, her forest eyes looking toward the spot she was just staring at. Sighing, she glanced away, lowering her gaze to her knees. "I'm not in any mood for your hijinks right now, Altwen."

"Not here for that, Kitten." the woman admitted softly. She paused for a moment before continuing. "It's a bundle of confusion in there. The others have no idea what to think of you now, ya know."

The Khajiit sighed at that, burying her head into her knees. "They hate me now, don't they?"

Altwen inhaled through her nose before replying. "Well actually, I dunno. I mean, that Arngeir fellow raised some really good points, and he had a bit of a chat with us 'bout it so that might've helped. If you ask me though, they shouldn't think any less of ya. I mean, your a fantastic girl. Kind, passionate, and a hella shot with that bow- and comin' from me, that means a lot." she then turned to the girl, a warm expression on her face. "That was really brave of you by the way; comin' clean like that. Don't see many people who'd do that."

Raising her head up, Ty'ani glanced over at Altwen, her face still holding a miserable expression. "Why are you so accepting? Aren't you mad with me from keeping this from you?"

"Not at all." the half-elf dismissed, shaking her head. "If anythin', I respect you even more. Besides, you remember me tellin' you 'bout my mate's sister?" at Ty'ani's nod, she continued. "Well, not many people know this, but she had a tendency to steal stuff as well. Used to be part of the old Thieves Guild in Cyrodiil as well."

That surprised Ty'ani, causing her to stare at the woman with an amazed expression. "Really?"

"Yup." the huntress affirmed. "Didn't care a cinch back then either. Bottom line, as far as I'm concerned, you can be whatever the hell you want, as long as your heart's in the right place."

Now this was something that the Khajiit wasn't expecting, especially not from Altwen of all people. Turns out that this carefree woman can be mature, go figure. Either way, she was absolutely right. Her spirits risen, the Khajiit smiled and wiped away the remaining tears before leaning in toward Altwen, wrapping her arms around her. "Thank you Altwen, I needed that."

Smiling, the half-elf patted her head. "Anytime, Kitten."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Ty'ani and Altwen re-entered the dining room some time later. Everyone was still present, exactly where they left them, all of whom looked toward them upon their arrival. Taking a deep breath, Ty'ani stepped ahead of Altwen, wringing her hands together as she did so. Clearing her dry throat, she softly began. "I apologize, Master Arngeir, for running away like that. It's just that... well, I-"

She was forced into silence by Arngeir raising a hand. "There is no need for apologies, Dragonborn. You are overwhelmed and highly stressed, I understand how you feel." he glanced around to the others in the room as he carried on. "I have been talking with your friends and believe that you all should speak with one another. We will give you your privacy." at that, all four Greybeards rose from their seats and exited the room, leaving the companions behind.

For the longest moment after Ty'ani and Altwen seated themselves, there was only silence between them. Resting her hands on her lap and folding them together, the Khajiit bit her lip as she fought for what to say, feeling more awkward as time went on. After a moment, she finally sighed.

"Well," she began quietly. "I suppose I have some explaining to do."

Haema was the only one to answer. "Yes, I believe you do." she said in a low, blank voice, her icy eyes boring into the girl. "I am not going to pretend that I'm not disappointed Ty'ani, but we are willing to listen to what you have to say. We owe you that much."

Heaving another breath, Ty'ani tentatively started. "Well, I suppose I should start from the beginning. When I was a child, I was orphaned back in Elsweyr. I was constantly turned away and ignored, and the only way I could live was through stealing. I have never had an education, and I never learnt any new skills. Up until now, the only way I can live is through thievery. I know it's a poor excuse, and I know I should have given it up but..." it was here she paused for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. Finally figuring if she was willing to tell them that much, may as well come completely clean. "It was why I went to Bleak Falls Barrow in the first place. I was caught for stealing and the Jarl gave me the choice to either go there, or spend time in jail. Me being here is just because of my dishonesty but I know no other life, it's just who I am. And if none of you can accept that, then I understand. I'm under no illusion that you'd want to stay with me."

After her explanation, Ty'ani felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking over, she saw that it was Altwen and she began comforting her as well as looking toward the others. "Look," she stated in a serious tone. "I'm gonna be mature for once. I'm not gonna pretend that stealin' is a good thing, but the thing is, in the time each of us have known Ty'ani, she has never let us down. She's already proven to all of us that she's kind hearted and fair. Plus, Arngeir's right; the Divines chose her to be Dragonborn, so there is somethin' about her that bares fruit, right? Are you lot really gonna question the Gods decision?"

Alasse leant forward at this, linking her fingers together as she bore her eyes into the half-elf. "I highly doubt that you hold the Divines in high regard anyway, so why would _you_ , of all people, bring that point up at all?"

"Oh don't be a sceptic, Ice Queen." the red head retorted. "While you may be right in that I don't highly regard _all_ of the Divines, I still hold on to the belief of their decision. Also, I believe in Ty'ani and if that don't mean anythin' to you lot then, well, you can all screw off. She has my faith and trust and I'll stand by her 'til the end. What about you lot?"

Sighing, Haema leant forward and rested her elbows on the table, linking her hands together before resting her chin on them. Her blue eyes stared into the stone surface, studying the imperfections in the masonry. After a few tense moments, she inhaled through her nose and let it out in a big puff of air while leaning back. Massaging the bridge of her nose, she spoke. "Look, Ty'ani, this revelation has thrown a cog in the works right now. On the one hand, I'm deeply disappointed with the life choice that you made and I truly expected better from you. I wanted to believe that you had risen above the stereotype of your race, and was going to prove that your people were not what others claim them to be." Ty'ani lowered her eyes at that, her posture visibly deflating at the lecture, knowing that Haema was absolutely right. But the Nord wasn't finished. "However, Altwen is also right. The Gods chose you to be Dragonborn and as such, that signifies that they saw something in you to grant you this power. As such, I am willing to over look your criminal nature as there are more important matters to attend to."

The blonde woman stood from her chair then, walking over toward the seated Khajiit and towered above her, making the girl feel uncomfortable. "Know that from this point on, you will have to regain my trust. But that aside, I am willing to remain by your side."

Pursing her lips nervously, Ty'ani looked the woman in the eye before nodding. "I understand." as Haema nodded as well and returned to her seat, the Khajiit lowered her gaze while the half-elf turned hers to Lydia and Alasse.

"Well? What about you two?" she demanded.

Lydia just huffed. "My standing is very clear on this matter. I loath the fact that she is a thief, but she is my Thane and as such, I'm bound by my duty to protect her. No matter my own feelings, I will continue to guard her from harm."

Satisfied by her response, Altwen turned her full attention to Alasse, crossing her arms as she regarded the Altmer. "Ice Queen?" she prodded.

Alasse narrowed her eyes, straightening her posture as she tilted her head up, so they saw her eyes a lot more clearly from under her hood. They didn't like what they saw. "I shall make this perfectly clear for you: I cannot, in good conscience, lower my standing to travel with one such as you." seeing the Khajiit's eyes lower in dejection, she continued. "Understand that I respect you as a person Ty'ani, but thievery is the one thing that I cannot tolerate."

"Are you kiddin' me?!" Altwen practically yelled. "You cold hearted bitch! How could you just-"

"Altwen!" Ty'ani interrupted, placing a hand on the huntress' arm. "It's okay. Really. Alasse, if that's really how you feel, then I understand. I'm not going to stop you from leaving."

Alasse sighed, closing her acid green eyes briefly before gazing at the girl in her sapphire ones. "Believe me Ty'ani when I say this. You are a good woman at heart, and were the situation any different I would stay. As of now however, I cannot in good standing. For now, I will remain until we return to Ivarstead. After that, we will go our separate ways."

Ty'ani nodded. "I understand, truly I do." sighing again, the white Khajiit rose from her seat, trying to regain her composure. "I'd better go find Arngeir, get my training over with." without waiting for a reply, she turned and exited the dining room.

It didn't take long for her to find the Greybeards, as all four were in the main chamber, two of whom were knelt in the centre, praying. Arngeir was standing, his hands in his sleeves and head lowered in contemplation. Upon hearing her footsteps, he turned his head in her direction, lowering his arms to his sides. He spoke as she stepped closer. "Have you resolved your dilemma with your companions?"

Lowering her eyes, she hesitantly replied. "Somewhat."

He gazed at her with a kind look. "Fret not, young Ty'ani. Your companions may have fallen out of sorts, but know in times of strife that they shall remain by your side." seeing her acceptance of his words, despite her sombre mood, he continued on. "Now Dragonborn, are you willing to allow us to teach you how to hone your Thu'um?"

A long pause stretched for a little while, but Ty'ani still spoke up, her voice quiet. "Before we begin, I have some questions."

"Of course, I will do my best to answer." the Greybeard replied contently.

The Khajiit began without hesitation. "You mentioned earlier that I had a destiny to fulfil. What exactly _is_ my destiny?"

"Truthfully, I cannot say." the elder answered. "That is for you to discover for yourself. We are merely here to guide you in that pursuit, just as the Greybeards have sought to guide those that came before you."

Ty'ani perked up at that. "You mean I'm not the only Dragonborn?"

Arngeir inclined his head. "You are not the first. There have been many of the Dragon Blood since Akatosh first bestowed the gift upon mortal kind. Whether you are the only Dragonborn of this age... that is not ours to know. You are the only one that has been revealed thus far. That is all I can say."

Ty'ani sighed once again, her fingers fiddling with a belt-pouch on her right hip. "So, why are the dragons returning? Does it have something to do with me?"

The elder man placed his fist on his hips, sighing as he replied. "No doubt. The appearance of a Dragonborn at this time is not an accident. Your destiny is surely bound up with the return of the dragons." lowering his arms, he continued. "You should focus your Voice, and soon your path will be made clear."

Ty'ani frowned at that dismissive comment. Curiosity at full circle, she pressed on. "Surely there's more you can tell me."

"There is indeed much that we know that you do not." Arngeir agreed. "That does not mean you are ready to understand it. Your mastery of the Voice can easily tempt you into the arrogance of power that has been the downfall of many Dragonborns before you."

Feeling a little like a scolded child, Ty'ani moved on with her questioning. "May I ask then, are there only four of you?"

"Five." he corrected. "Our leader, Paarthurnax, lives alone on the peak of the Throat of the World. When your Voice can open the path, you will know you are ready to speak to him."

Confused, the Khajiit frowned. "What do you mean? When can I meet him?"

"As I said, you will know you are ready when your Voice can open the path to him. Just know that for now, you are not yet ready to understand. That will take time and patience."

"I understand." Ty'ani accepted, lowering her head. After a moment, she gazed back at him. "If you would permit me, could you tell me more about the Greybeards?"

Nodding himself, Arngeir began his explanation. "We study the Way of the Voice, according to the teachings of our founder, Jurgen Windcaller. Very few are permitted to study with us here at High Hrothgar. But in your case, Dragonborn, it is a privilege to guide you towards mastery of your Voice."

"What is the 'Way of the Voice'?" she inquired, genuinely curious.

The monk didn't hesitate to answer. "The Voice was a gift of the Goddess Kynareth, at the dawn of time. She gave mortals the ability to speak as dragons do. Although this gift has often been misused, the only true use of the Voice is for the worship and glory of the Gods. True mastery of the Voice can only be achieved when your inner spirit is in harmony with your outward actions." at that point, he folded his hands together, raising his head as though he was revering the Divines. "In the contemplation of the sky, Kynareth's domain, and the practise of the Voice, we strive to achieve this balance."

That was a lot to take in, and Ty'ani barely managed to follow. This philosophy seemed fairly complicated, but at the same time fairly simple. It was hard to explain, but either way if she wanted to truly understand, then the Khajiit was willing to follow along. "I will try to follow the Way of the Voice." she promised.

"That is commendable." Arngeir praised with a pleased smile, but it didn't last long. "But remember, the Dragon Blood is itself a gift from Akatosh. Do not try to deny that gift. Your destiny requires you to use your Voice- why else would Akatosh have bestowed this power upon you?" Ty'ani didn't have an answer for that. She still wasn't even sure what the Gods were thinking to give her this power in the first place. Arngeir continued. "If you remember to use your Voice in service to the purpose of Akatosh, you will remain true to the Way."

Again, Ty'ani nodded in acknowledgement. It was all very baffling to her, but she felt confident that she'll understand given time. She then glanced toward the other Greybeards, one of whom was even looking her way, while the other two were still in prayer. Though she had no doubt that they could hear her anyway. Looking back to Arngeir, she spoke again. "One last question, if I may?"

Upon the elder's nod, she proceeded. "I mean no disrespect, but why don't the others talk?"

Arngeir merely smiled at the question. "Their Voices are too powerful for anyone not trained in the Way to withstand. Even a whisper could kill you."

That made the girl uneasy all over again. So Klimmek was right then. In which case, she is definitely not going to provoke them in any way. Clearing her throat, she decided she had enough with asking questions, confident that she had learned enough for now. Looking the old monk in the eye, she folded her hands behind her back and held her head up high. "In which case, if there is no way for me to rid myself of this power, then I will assume the role of the Dragonborn. I am willing to learn everything you are willing to teach me."

The Greybeard smiled contently. Gesturing with his arm for her to stand in the centre of the chamber, he spoke quietly. "Then we shall do our best to teach you."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

 _OMG! I HATE WRITER'S BLOCK!_

 _ **Edit** : It was only now that I realized that I've spelt Klimmek's name wrong all throughout this chapter, *facepalm*. I've also added a little more to Ty'ani's explanation of her thieving ways to her friends, as well a few touch ups on spelling here and there._


	7. The Way of the Voice

**4E 201  
30th of Sun's Dusk**

The Greybeards formed a circle around Ty'ani, with Arngeir standing directly in front of her. He smiled contently as he spoke. "You have shown that you are Dragonborn. You have the inborn gift. But do you have the discipline and temperament to follow the path laid out before you? That remains to be seen."

"Without training," he continued. "You have already taken the first steps towards projecting your Voice into a Thu'um, a Shout. Now let us see if you are willing and able to learn." he explained, studying her face for a moment. "When you Shout, you speak in the language of dragons. Thus, your Dragon Blood gives you an inborn ability to learn Words of Power."

It was there that Ty'ani spoke up, curiosity evident in her tone. "Master Arngeir, my apologies for interrupting, but the dragons have a language?"

"But of course," Arngeir replied. "Dragons are just as intelligent as you and I, if not even more so. But for now, that is not important."

Ty'ani lowered her head. "Right, I'm sorry."

Arngeir continued. "Now, all Shouts are made up of three Words of Power. As you master each Word, your Shout will become progressively stronger." he then gestured to another of the Greybeards to Ty'ani's left, whom stepped forward as he spoke. "Master Einarth will now teach you _Ro_ , the second Word in 'Unrelenting Force'. _Ro_ means 'Balance' in the dragon tongue. Combine it with _Fus_ \- Force- to focus you Thu'um more sharply."

Einarth faced the floor, back bowed and uttered very quietly the Word of Power: _Ro_. A small energy wave- similar to Ty'ani's power, but obviously more controlled- flew from the elder's mouth and struck the ground. Ty'ani watched in fascination when several runes compressed in the stone, glowing bright as though they were branded there by a hot iron. The markings were very similar to the ones she encountered at Bleak Falls Barrow. In the next instant, the etchings grew brighter.

The next thing she knew, her vision began to darken at the edges, the ambient noise that echoed around the monastery becoming muffled until all went silent. All she saw were the glowing edges of the runes, radiating with power.

All of a sudden, her vision went black as the Word integrated its magic within her. From deep in her mind, she heard the word speak to her. _Ro._

Her senses were suddenly returned, her head flaring in pain as she doubled over, instantly covering her forehead as though she could sooth the ailment. The Khajiit let out a small cry as she regained her control, shaking her head before straightening back up, to see Arngeir looking upon her with admiration.

"You learn a new Word like a master... you truly do have the gift." he said, quite clearly pleased but also had a slight undertone of concern at her obvious pain. He gestured to his side, beckoning Ty'ani to stand beside him. Obeying, the white Khajiit walked over slowly, listening to his next words. "But learning a Word of Power is only the first step... you must unlock its meaning through constant practise in order to use it in a Shout. Well, that is how the rest of us learn Shouts. As Dragonborn, you can absorb a slain dragon's life-force and knowledge directly."

"But, there isn't any dragons here." Ty'ani pointed out. "How will I be able to learn it?"

"Ah, but it is not only from dragons where you can learn the knowledge." the monk explained. "You can learn from anyone who has the ability. As such, as part of your initiation, Master Einarth will allow you to tap into his understanding of _Ro_."

Turning to the aforementioned Greybeard, Ty'ani watched as he lowered his head and closed his eyes, laying his left hand upon the other in concentration. After that, the elder began to emit a strange glow, and before long, tendrils of golden light began to leave him, travelling toward the Khajiit girl. Her limbs tensed as the energy flowed through her, squeezing her eyes closed as her mind began to fill with the knowledge of the Word of Power. It was intense, but wasn't as overwhelming as absorbing a dragon soul. In fact, it was almost... peaceful.

The light soon ceased to flow, turning the chamber back to the ambient light from the braziers. "Now let us see how quickly you can master your new Thu'um." Arngeir stated, stepping away from Ty'ani's side. The Khajiit followed his movements as he continued. "Use your 'Unrelenting Force' Shout to strike the target as it appears."

One of the other Greybeards to Ty'ani's left stepped forward, toward the centre. " _Fiik Lo SAH_!" he shouted. A purple distortion of air appeared in the centre, and when it dissipated, a ghostly entity stood in it's place. Ty'ani took a deep breath, beginning her Shout, even though she had no idea how she knew what to do.

" _Fus Ro_!"

Once the last Word left her mouth, the familiar blue shock wave left her, hurtling toward the entity with speed. It struck the ghost with such force that the apparition was destroyed in a violent puff of blue smoke. Dust that had collected on the stone ground flew into the air from the disturbance, swirling in the air in indistinguishable patterns before slowly descending back down.

"Impressive." Arngeir praised. "Your Thu'um is precise. You show great promise Dragonborn."

Surprised by how quickly the trials passed, Ty'ani glanced at the monk. "Is that all there is to it? That seems far too easy."

"Indeed. But remember, do not allow your easy mastery to turn to arrogance." after his reminder, Ty'ani nodded, allowing him to continue. "Now, you have one last trial. We will perform it in the courtyard."

In the cold? She grimaced at that, not wanting to do that at all. As she was about to ask to retrieve her cloak, that was when another voice sounded out. "Well, it's a good thing I thought to bring this."

Looking round, Altwen emerged from the corridor, smiling at the girl as she stepped closer. Seeing that she had her fur cloak, Ty'ani smiled back in appreciation. She took it from the half-elf in gratitude. "Thank you Altwen."

"No problem Kitten." she replied, adjusting her own cloak over her shoulders. "Hope you don't mind if I tag along? Kinda fascinated by what you did there, I wanna see more."

"Sure, I don't mind." once that was sorted, the two women followed the Greybeards up the stairs toward the doors at the back of the chamber. Bracing herself for the cold by wrapping her cloak around her trim body, she stepped out the now opened doors behind the elders.

She gasped when the air hit her warmed body, hugging the cloak even tighter. The sun had half-way disappeared behind the horizon in the time the adventurers were inside, causing the temperature to drop dramatically. The snow had even picked up as well, falling steadily from the heavens. Folding her hood over her head, she walked over to stand by the Greybeards. Arngeir spoke once she was beside them.

"Now we will see how quickly you can master a completely new Shout." he indicated to the monk beside him. "Master Borri will now teach you _Wuld_ , which means 'Whirlwind'."

Upon his word, the mentioned Greybeard repeated the same ritual Einarth performed earlier, lowering his head and whispering the Word to the ground. Once the etching appeared, causing the snow to fly away due to the disturbance before settling once again. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, Ty'ani stepped away from Altwen and over the rune, allowing her vision to darken and the icy tendrils to grip her mind. After waiting for the headache to surpass once the Word was in her mind, Borri presented her with his knowledge. The four Greybeards then all headed to the far side of the courtyard, where two pillars sat with a wrought iron gate some distance from that.

Each of the four Greybeards took positions by and in-between these two structures and as she approached, Arngeir addressed her again. "Now we will see how quickly you can master a new Word." he gestured to the elder that stood beside him. "Master Wulfgar will demonstrate 'Whirlwind Sprint'. Then it will be your turn." he turned toward the iron gate, looking to Borri. "Master Borri."

The aforementioned Greybeard raised his hands and Shouted. " _Bex_!"

Upon uttering the Word, the gates swung open of their own accord. Before they opened fully, Wulgar began the Shout. " _Wuld Nah KEST_!"

All of a sudden, Wulfgar became a grey blur, travelling far faster than was physically possible for any mortal. He stopped on the other side of the gate, only for a split second later for them to close. Ty'ani's eyes widened in awe, truly impressed by the power. "Wow." she breathed.

"Your tellin' me." Altwen whispered back, looking at the girl with a smile. "You gonna give it a try?"

"Erm..." she said uneasily. It was one thing _watching_ someone do that, but actually _doing_ it was another thing entirely. Also, she had spotted that just beyond the gate was the edge of the summit. Seeing that, she had begun to second guess how dangerous this could be. "Is this even safe?" she asked Arngeir.

He nodded. "So long as you face the opening of the gate and there is nothing blocking the path. Stand beside me and you will not fall over the edge. Master Borri will open the gate and you use your 'Whirlwind Sprint' Shout to pass through before it closes."

Taking a shaky breath, the Khajiit stepped up to Arngeir's side. She shivered, both from the cold and from fear. The last thing she wanted to do was for this to go wrong, as she really didn't want to tumble over the edge. Before she had the chance to second guess herself, Borri Shouted out, which caused the gate to open. Mustering her courage, she threw caution to the wind and Shouted herself.

" _Wuld_!"

It almost seemed as though the entire world split in two, like a lightening bolt separating the sky as she shot forward at blinding speed with a sense of weightlessness. It was as if a portal had opened up before her, and she was merely stepping through it into a new location. She barely even had time to finished uttering the Shout before she was already through the gate. Once she slowed, she stumbled a few steps before coming to a complete stop, scrambling to regain her balance. Her heart felt as though it was pounding out of her ribcage as a huge sense of adrenaline ran through her system. That was absolutely incredible.

Ty'ani turned back to face where she came from, seeing the gates just now close before reopening, revealing the astonished looks of all the assembled. She walked back through the gate, placing a hand on her chest to calm her racing heart and approached Arngeir. Wrapping herself back in her cloak when the chill began to register with her senses again, the monk spoke.

"Your quick mastery of a new Thu'um is... astonishing." he commented, his voice full of awe. "I'd heard the stories of the abilities of Dragonborn, but to see it for myself..."

Altwen, who stepped up to Ty'ani's side, frowned at the elder. "What'd you mean? Ain't it easy for everyone?"

Arngeir let out a small laugh at that. "No. Indeed not." he answered the half-elf before glancing back at Ty'ani, speaking in a warning tone. "But beware that your skill does not outstrip your wisdom. You are now ready for your last trial. Retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, our founder, from his tomb in the ancient fane of Ustengrav. Remain true to the Way of the Voice, and you will return."

"Who was Jurgen Windcaller?" the Khajiit asked.

"He was a great war leader of the ancient Nords, a master of the Voice, or Tongue." he explained as they all began to return to the warm interior of High Hrothgar. "After the disaster at Red Mountain, where the Nord army was annihilated, he spent many years pondering the meaning of that terrible defeat. He finally came to realise that the Gods had punished the Nords for their arrogant a blasphemous misuse of the Voice. He was the first to understand that the Voice should be used solely for the glory and worship of the Gods, not the glory of men." they pushed open the iron doors, stepping through and immediately shutting them to keep out the cold. "Jurgen Windcaller's mastery of the Voice eventually overcame all opposition, and the Way of the Voice was born."

"When exactly was this?" the girl continued to ask.

"During the First Era, in the War of Succession." the monk answered. "Where the Nord army waged war against the Dwemer and Chimer, where they eventually forced the Nords out of Morrowind."

"And what are Chimer?"

Letting out a laugh, Altwen placed her hands on her hips as she answered for the elder. "They're more ancient Dwemer, Kitten. You really don't know anythin' about history, do you?"

Ty'ani frowned, glaring at the woman for her comment. Crossing her arms, she snapped back. "All right, fine then know-it-all, care to tell me where exactly Ustengrav is."

"Yup," the half-elf responded. "It's a few miles north of Morthal, in the marshlands."

Rolling her eyes, she reluctantly accepted defeat as she glanced back at the old monk before her. "My apologies. If it is all right with you, Master Arngeir, could you allow us to remain here for the night and we will leave first thing tomorrow morning."

"Of course." he said, nodding. "You and your companions may use whatever space you need. For now, I must depart. Sleep well, and may Kynareth watch over you." at that, the Greybeard walked away, following after his brothers- whom had departed while they spoke- leaving Ty'ani and Altwen alone.

As the Khajiit removed her cloak, Altwen inhaled a breath. "Well, I dunno about you Kitten, but I never got the chance to eat some of that grub they brought us earlier, I'm starved."

Smiling, Ty'ani nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds good about now." the two then walked toward the hallway that lead to the dining hall. Ty'ani wasn't exactly looking forward to encountering the rest of the group, but she had to start rebuilding the broken bridges at some point.

Before entering the hall, Ty'ani paused. "Oh, by the way Altwen...?"

Also stopping, the half-elf stepped back up to the girl's side. "Yeah Kitten?"

Ty'ani then gave her a playful look, and completely unexpectedly, punched her in the arm. Shocked, the huntress jerked back, rubbing the sore spot as she stared at the white Khajiit with wide eyes. "Ow! What in Oblivion was that for?"

Ty'ani smirked, answering coyly as she sidled past. "For laughing at me earlier."

Dumbstruck, the half-elf watched her go for a second, but before long a smirk crossed her face too. Following after her, Altwen shook her hooded head. "I'm growin' on her." she muttered to herself in amusement.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Hours later, the companions settled in the dining room, each laying their bedrolls in different corners of the room. During that time, they surmised that the weather had become worse, hearing the howling winds through the stone walls of the monastery. Though while they were all in the same room, the group hadn't exchanged very many words with each other. It was becoming quite awkward.

Sitting upon her bedroll, dressed in her oversized shirt, Ty'ani cleaned and adjusted her bow. The Nightingale weapon had become her best friend since Karliah gave it to her, promising that she would take great care of it. She buffed the bow until the designs on it shone. It was slightly worn, clearly showcasing the weapon's age, but it was still very strong.

Lowering the rag, she pulled her backpack closer to her and began rummaging around in it. She frowned as her fingers failed to find what she was after. Plucking the bow from her lap, she placed it beside her as she dragged her pack onto her knee in its place. The Khajiit continued searching, even taking a few things out, until at last she let out a noise of victory when she pulled out a glowing palm sized gem. A Soul Gem.

Soul Gems were, as a whole, naturally occurring stones that can house the souls of the dead. They are most commonly used for the purpose of enchanting armour and weapons, as well as recharging enchantments that already exist in weapons. While many of the magics housed in weapons were powerful, they unfortunately didn't last forever, as is the case with Ty'ani's weapon. Despite the Nightingale bow being created through the means of Nocturnal, it still loses its charge after an extended amount of time. Not as often as many other weapons though.

Retrieving her bow again as she placed her pack back down, she cradled it in her lap as she held the gem up to it. Once the tip of the stone touched the weapon, the gem began to glow brighter. Before long, tendrils of white light encircled it and the bow, transferring its power to the weapon. The lights turned a midnight blue as it flowed through the bow. After a few seconds, the light disappeared, leaving behind an empty Soul Gem, which Ty'ani threw back into her pack to sell later. As she had no talent in magic, apart from what she was born with, she didn't know how to refill the gem. Still, people would pay well for an empty Soul Gem, especially mages.

With that finished with, Ty'ani placed her bow with its quiver on the floor. Leaning forward to rest her elbow on her thigh, ergo resting her chin in her palm, Ty'ani glanced around. Since it was fairly late by now, the other women around her had laid in their rolls, already on the way to sleep. The only one that was still awake, apart from her, was Haema. The blonde Nord was sharpening her battle axe with a whetstone, the scraping sound of a stone running over metal filled the silence. Her blonde, shoulder length hair was pushed behind her ears, the locks flowing down her broad shoulders, framing her strong jaw line.

Ty'ani honestly had no idea how old Haema was, but from the fact that she had an adolescent son, she could guess that she was at least twenty years her senior. Maybe less than that, since the woman's weather worn features didn't entirely glean on her true age. Despite that, she was still quite a beautiful woman and if there was one thing that was certain, from both her physic and battle skills, she had much experience as well.

As though the woman sensed eyes upon her, Haema glanced up from her work, spotting Ty'ani looking her way. The Khajiit, in turn, returned her gaze for but a moment before breaking eye contact, still feeling awkward. Haema stared at the girl for a moment longer before sighing, placing down her axe and whetstone. Resting her arms on her thighs, she broke the silence between them. "Ty'ani." she beckoned, bringing the girl's attention back to her. She inclined her head. "Come here a moment, I wish to talk."

Feeling uncertain, Ty'ani decided not to argue as she rose to her feet. Her ears flattened and tail twitching to showcase her mood, she paced over to the Nord woman. Once in front of her, she stayed standing, wringing her hands together. Haema sighed again, patting the spot beside her, offering her to sit down. The Khajiit complied, crossing her legs once seated.

Haema wasted no time in beginning. "Listen Ty'ani, I have thought long and hard about this situation. Just know that your choice of being a thief has been a fairly unexpected turn for me, I hope you can understand what position you have put me in." the girl only nodded, not speaking at all as she stared at her own fiddling hands. Therefore, Haema continued. "I will say that I can understand why you turned to thievery as a child, but I must ask why you kept the habit up?"

Biting her lip, the white Khajiit hesitantly answered. "To be honest with you, I really don't know. I guess I thought that there was nothing else for me out there, since I cannot be a dock worker as I'm so weak. I can't be a merchant because I don't understand economics and I don't know how to read and write. I suppose I believed thievery was my only calling in life."

"That is barely an excuse, Ty'ani." Hamea retaliated, glancing at the girl with a blank look. "And do not say that you are weak. In the time I have known you, I have seen much strength in you. Understand that strength doesn't just come from your physical prowess, but from within your heart and soul." Placing a hand on the Khajiit's shoulder, bringing the girl's attention to her, she added. "Ty'ani, my point is that I'm not disappointed in you personally, but in your life choices. I had higher hopes for you."

Ty'ani lips pursed together, closing her eyes as tears threatened to form. Pushing down the urge to let it all out, Ty'ani replied. "I know. I'm just a massive disappointment for everyone. I don't care what Arngeir says, I don't deserve to be the Dragonborn."

Haema's eyes narrowed at that, releasing her hold on Ty'ani's shoulder. "Stop right there." she demanded, her tone sounding as though she was scolding a child, making Ty'ani turn her gaze back to her. "Never think that ever again. Master Arngeir is completely right in what he said; you being Dragonborn means that the Gods have foreseen a great future for you. If they believed that you were unworthy to hold this power, then you would not have it in the first place. Believe me when I say, in spite of your choices, that you are worth far more than you believe. Never allow anyone to tell you otherwise."

Blinking, Ty'ani stared at the blonde Nord for a long while, her thoughts a jumble. Many emotions ran through her, but in the end Haema's words had struck a nerve. Maybe she was right; if the Divines had chosen her, then maybe there was hope for her yet. She may not be able to keep her thievery to herself, as at this point it was a hard pressed habit, but she could still attempt to be a better person.

Wiping away a tear that made its way down her cheek, she gave Haema a small smile. "Thank you." she breathed. "I think I needed that talk."

In return, the Nord woman smiled as well. "You get good at giving pep talks when you become a parent, never mind a Harbinger of a warriors guild." she wrapped an arm over Ty'ani's shoulders, giving her a small hug. "You are a good woman Ty'ani, you just need to believe in yourself first before anyone else can."

"I will." the girl promised, withdrawing from the embrace, turning her glassy sapphire orbs to Haema. "I'm glad your still with me Haema, and I promise to be a better person."

After exchanging smiles, the two bid each other a good night, the Khajiit girl retreating back to her own bedroll while Haema settled into hers. Wiggling into the bedroll, Ty'ani turned onto her side, pillowing her head with her arm, the fingers of her other hand fiddling with the fur lining. The friendship between her and the others may not be entirely healed, but at least they are moving in the right direction. Her only hope is that they can all make it through this mess in one piece.

That thought was her last as she closed her eyes, drifting to sleep within moments.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

She floated in a vast void, the emptiness resounding around her like a wisp. Sound was even absent, reinforcing the feeling of solitude.

Ty'ani found this fairly perplexing. Was she dreaming? If she was then this was highly unusual, at least it was for her recently. Her dreams were usually plagued with the images of her recent past; of Helgen being destroyed or being run down by that monstrous dragon. This... nothingness... was very unnerving.

Surprisingly, despite the isolation, she was surrounded on all sides by warmth. It was comforting in actuality- even though in most cases she hated to be trapped in darkness, she'd never felt so content in her life.

But, this doesn't feel right to her at the same time. Something must be happening. Something had to have brought her here and if so, for what purpose? In an attempt to find out, Ty'ani stretched out her arms, searching for anything to anchor on to but found nothing but air. Frowning, she shifting in... whatever this was that supported her, and turned to see behind herself. Again, all that met her eyes was nothingness. Everything was so tangibly dark, a vast density to the air, and the Khajiit wasn't sure that she liked it.

"I don't want to be here." she said to herself, briefly wondering what _here_ was precisely.

All of a sudden, her ears pricked up as a voice made itself known. " _Neither do us all, but yet we exist to fulfil our menial destinies for this world_."

Ty'ani's fur stood up on end at that, whipping her body around in an attempt to locate the source of the voice. She couldn't see anything. She was still very much alone, but yet there was something here with her.

"Who's there!" she called out, her voice an echo in the darkness.

The voice immediately answered, vibrating through her very being. " _Know me merely as a_ fahdon, _a friend._ "

"A friend?" Ty'ani repeated with a frown. "I do not even know nor trust you. How can I trust a being that I cannot see?"

"Prem. _All in due time._ " the voice answered cryptically. " _We shall meet one day. For now, you are not yet ready._ "

Looking around once more in a bid to catch sight of her company, Ty'ani's frown deepened. "What does that mean?" she questioned. "Many times today I've been told I'm not ready, when I don't even know what I'm suppose to be ready for."

" _All will soon become clear to you._ " the voice reassured. "Mindah fen das bo wah prem. _For now however, I must speak with you,_ Dovahkiin."

Perplexed, Ty'ani's frown receded, furrowing instead. Taking a steadying breath, she carefully inquired. "What is it you want of me? Are you the one that brought me here?"

" _I am partly responsible, yes._ " it answered honestly. " _But it is your own unconscious mind that brought you here. You may not realise, but you have been searching for one who will assist you. For one who will listen._ "

Ty'ani felt nothing but confusion at that. Whatever did that mean? She already has people who will listen to her- her companions. Granted, bridges needed to be rebuilt between them after what happened today, but after that conversation she had with Haema her spirits and confidence had risen in that regard. Raising her head in defiance, she answered back. "I already have people who will listen to me. My friends."

"Krosis zey, _that I do not doubt._ " the voice responded apologetically. " _However, are you confident in the knowledge that your friends will understand your plight? That they will understand the hardships already within your mind?_ "

"'Already within my mind'?" Ty'ani echoed, becoming more confused by the minute. "What are you talking about?"

A pause was her answer for only a few moments, feeling stretched out due to the deafening silence surrounding her. As she became certain the voice had vanished, leaving her with no answers, it replied at last. " _Have no doubt,_ Dovahkiin, _that your physical body is strong. That in the waking world, you can and shall overcome all opposition. But, here within your own mind, you are vulnerable._ Hin gaansevah los ahst krilon do krasfaal. _Even now, I sense a darkness growing within you. I warn you now, a day will come when this corruption will spread to your physical being and destroy you should you allow it._ "

This had Ty'ani extremely worried now. "What are you talking about? What corruption?"

" _I am uncertain when you obtained this taint,_ " the voice answered truthfully. " _However, I know of its source. As I have been keeping watch of this land for many centuries,_ lingraav strin, _I have been waiting for a time when the end times will be inevitable. Now that time is at hand, my one task above all else is to ensure your well being._ "

Attention well and truly grabbed, Ty'ani listened closely, her unease increasing with each word the entity spoke. Biting her lip after it paused, she spoke up quietly. "What must I do?"

" _I know not when,_ " it claimed despondently." _But at a time in your immediate future, you shall feel the corruption begin to overtake your senses. When that time comes, you must go to the Greybeards immediately. They shall be overbearing and protective, often times illusive, but they will listen should you tell them these words: '_ Tiid los voknau zey, Zu'u fent tinvaak voth Paarthurnax'. _Remember these words,_ Dovahkiin _, and they shall assist you._ "

Thoroughly perplexed, Ty'ani still nodded. "I understand." she acknowledged.

" _Repeat the words to me_." the voice ordered.

Now put on the spot, Ty'ani fumbled. "Erm... _Tiid los... vok-nau zey, Zu'u.. fent... tin-vaak voth Paarthurnax_."

" _Again._ "

Becoming more frazzled, she repeated. " _Tiid los vok-nau zey... Zu'u fent tin-vaak voth Paarthurnax._ "

" _Again._ " it demanded once more. " _Repeat the words until they sink in._ "

More confident now, she raised her head up and in a voice filled with determination, she said the line again. " _Tiid los voknau zey, Zu'u fent tinvaak voth Paarthurnax._ "

"Rinik pruzah." the voice acknowledged proudly. " _Until we meet again,_ Dovahkiin."

Then all went silent. Ty'ani almost felt the entity evaporate like smoke, as if a small part of her own being had disappeared. She frowned, her mind working overtime to comprehend what had just happened. Glancing down, she repeated the words the voice told her to remember again and again in her thoughts. She didn't understand the significance of what they meant, but...

It was then a flash of light appeared before her, beckoning her attention instantly. She watched as a large strip formed in the air, like a slash of a dagger through a canvas, revealing a blinding white light. The Khajiit squeezed her eyes closed against the assault of light, her vision unused to it.

Ty'ani inhaled a breath through her nose, her senses suddenly coming alive with the scent of dust and thin mountainous air. Snapping her eyes open, she found herself back in the dining area of High Hrothgar, laying on her side in her own bedroll.

Jerking up into a seating position while leaning on her hands, Ty'ani blinked sleepily and in confusion. So it _was_ just a dream. Right?

Glancing around, she found that her companions were all still asleep in their own bedrolls, also seeing that the windows beyond the room in the hallway were dark, indicating that it was still twilight. Sighing, she brushed her messy hair back behind her pointed ears, running her fingers through the thick black locks before gripping it at the base of her neck.

Releasing her hair after a moment, Ty'ani rubbed her eyes, letting out a yawn. Thinking it best to return to sleep while she could, the Khajiit laid back on her side, folding the furry bedroll tightly around her. She lay there staring into seemingly nothingness as she pondered over her dream.

Who, or what, was that voice? And what did it mean by everything it said? Plus the words it told her to remember...

" _Tiid los voknau zey, Zu'u fent tinvaak voth Paarthurnax._ " she whispered absently.

That last word in the sentence stuck in her mind the most. Wasn't Paarthurnax what Arngeir said was the name of their leader? How could the entity have possibly known that? She briefly played with the idea that perhaps one of the nine Divines had spoken to her, maybe even Akatosh himself, but dismissed it immediately. It was absurd to think that a God would waste such a warning on a mere mortal, despite her being Dragonborn. And it was most definitely not a Daedric Prince, as it sounded far too benevolent for that. So if not the Divines or the Daedra, than what?

Feeling far too exhausted from the days events to ponder at that question for much longer, Ty'ani pushed it aside for now. Closing her eyes, it didn't take long for her to fall back to sleep, unanswered questions still lingering in the back of her mind.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The following morning, after Ty'ani and Altwen brought the others up to speed, they began the journey back down the mountain path, intent on getting back to Ivarstead as soon as possible. While there was no snow or too strong gusts of wind, it was still very cold, which gave them an even bigger incentive to get down quickly.

"So let me get this straight," Lydia said as they trudged down the icy steps, each wrapped up in their fur cloaks. "To finish your training, the Greybeards sent you to go to an ancient Nord burial mound, just to receive some old horn?"

Ty'ani nodded as she kept her eyes ahead of her. "That's about the short of it." she affirmed. "Though to be honest, I don't really know what that's suppose to prove. But in the end, if it helps me to understand my power a little better, at least I can feel I've achieved something."

"Well," Altwen piped up. "Hows about we get off this mountain first, yeah? I don't really fancy freezin' to death up here."

"I hear that." Ty'ani agreed. "I really can't wait to get off this mountain, I don't think I can stand this cold for much longer."

Looking over toward Alasse, whom was walking on the opposite side of the party, Ty'ani clearly saw that the Altmer was gazing intently up toward the rocky ridges. Cocking her head curiously, Ty'ani called over to her. "Alasse? Are you alright?"

"I am uncertain." she answered, pausing in her step, causing the rest of them to stop and glance at her as well. "I have a strange sense that something that means ill toward us is nearby."

Ty'ani frowned at that. She knew that elves tend to have a good sense of hearing, but if Alasse had heard something that put her on edge, then she would have heard it as well, since Khajiit ears were far better than any other race. Having said that though, she was slightly distracted by talking with everyone else. As such, she attempted to scent the air, to see if she could detect anything nearby. Unfortunately, due to the blustery winds, any scents that could have lingered were blown askew.

Ty'ani adjusted the angle of her hood, looking further up the rock face of the mountain, perking her ears up more. Despite the wind, she finally managed to pick up an out-of-place sound originating from...

Suddenly on edge, Ty'ani looked directly above her, eyes widening as a low growl echoed out. Seeing snow tumbling off the rocky ledge above her unnaturally, she leapt out the way just as a huge _thing_ thumped down where she was just standing. Her companions immediately went for their weapons as she rolled back onto her feet, whipping round to see the assailant.

The Khajiit gasped when she saw a seven foot tall, white shaggy furred frost troll baring down on Haema. The Nord woman was desperately trying to gain some distance between it and her, fighting to pull her battle axe from its holster on her back.

Altwen was the first to react, nocking a broadhead arrow and loosening it at the beast. It struck the wide expanse of it's back, burying deep into a hunched shoulder blade. It howled in pain, turning toward the source and blindly charging in rage. The nimble half-elf dodged out of it's path, performing an impressive somersault as a fire bolt exploded on the creature's hide. As the last aspects of the flames licked at it's body, Haema moved in on the offensive, building momentum as she went, striking it in it's side. The troll roared, it's jaws wide showcasing it's huge canines and spraying saliva as it swung it's heavily muscled arm at the Nord, forcing her away to avoid the deadly claws.

Just as it swung at her again, Lydia came in for a low attack, slashing her steel broadsword across the back of it's knees, giving Haema the opening she needed to get back. The troll roared again as the wound released a small stream of blood, blindly swinging it's arms at the Housecarl, who raised her shield as she stepped back, allowing one attack to glance off the steel. The strength of the beast momentarily caused her to stumble, but thankfully two more arrows found home in the beast's hide curtsey of Altwen, distracting it.

Ty'ani had now recovered, having pulled off her bow and wrenched out an arrow. Straightening and nocking back the projectile, she released it at the beast. Her shock added with the chill made aiming slightly more difficult, but the arrow still struck true in it's back, the weapon's enchantment activating as ice and sparks. She followed up with two more as Haema went in for another attack.

Attention once again drawn to the blonde woman, the troll pursued her, only to be halted yet again. Altwen, seeing a window of opportunity, had swiftly put away her bow and drawn her swords, bounding off a nearby rock and slashing at the back of it's neck, rolling forward when she hit the ground. This enabled Haema and Lydia to get another attack in.

Alasse, now seeing an opening between her companions, peppered the creature with more fire bolts, setting it alight. The winds didn't allow the flames to remain, but trolls were widespreadly known to have a fear of fire. Therefore, with it thoroughly distracted with the dangerous element licking at it's hide, Lydia and Haema went to finish it off.

Seeing that the others had full control of the situation, Ty'ani lowered her nocked arrow, watching as Lydia slashed the knees one final time and Haema buried her axe blade in the trolls chest as it fell, ending it's life in an instant. She sighed in relief, as she had truly loathed the idea of facing a troll by herself, since she has little battlefield experience and just runs away as fast as she can in most scenarios. So she was very thankful for her current company.

However, just as that thought crossed her mind, that was when her ears perked up in alarm. The sound of heavy footfalls and deep gravelly breathing beckoned her attention and made her hackles stand up on end. Suddenly on alert, the Khajiit, whipped around, crying out in alarm as _another_ troll appeared out of nowhere, thundering at her in apelike strides. It roared as it lunged at her and Ty'ani threw herself to the side to avoid the deadly black talons, landing heavily on her front. Panic exploded in her chest as it pursued her, flipping herself back onto her feet and darted under it's arms when it swung at her again.

"TY'ANI!" she heard Haema shout out in alarm, all of their attention turning from the dead troll to the one that stood far too close to the Khajiit. Altwen rearmed herself with her bow, releasing an arrow in quick succession, trying to bring it's attention off Ty'ani to buy the Khajiit the time she needed to get away. And to buy enough time for Haema and Lydia to get over there.

Unfortunately, that outcome did not happen. The troll completely ignored the arrow sticking out of it's flesh and continued to attack the slippery Khajiit.

Ty'ani's panic continued to raise as she stumbled through the voluminous snow, trying desperately to gain much needed distance between her and the troll. It powered through the snow banks with ease, continuing to ignore the arrows peppering it's hide as it clawed for her again. The girl managed to duck, allowing the arm to swing over her head, but the sharp movement caused her foot to slip on the icy ground. She collapsed hard on her knee, pain shooting up the sensitive nerve ending and up her thigh, paralysing her for a split second.

That second cost her greatly.

The troll struck, it's claws penetrated deep into her left shoulder, powerful three fingered hands enclosing around her and lifting her off her knees. She screamed, burning pain exploding from her shoulder, feeling her collarbone being crushed under the hold. The troll then buried the claws of it's other hand in the unprotected part of her belly, tearing through her shirt and skin like it was butter as the troll opened the wound further. Crimson immediately welled up from the three inch gouges, completely soaking her shirt and dripped down her thighs.

It only lasted for a second, but the pain made it feel like a lifetime to Ty'ani as she shrieked bloody murder. She barely even noticed the troll had attempted to lift her up so it could bite into her flesh only for it to roar out in pain, throwing her to the side as it did so. Though she did register smashing against the rocky wall, more pain exploding from her chest and head before she was suddenly encased in snow, the shock of the cold thoroughly paralysing her.

Unknown to the Khajiit, the only reason the troll had thrown her away was because Alasse had fired a bolt of flame at it's back, and it was now eating away at it's fur. The creature raised it's arms to bat away the flames in panic. Haema and Lydia roared out in challenge as they took advantage of the troll's distraction, the brunette slashing her sword across it's exposed belly, and the blonde cleaving her battle axe into the side of it's thick neck. Blood gushed from the wounds, spraying out in a wide arch, painting the Nords and the snow around them deep sanguine. Before long, the troll's eyes glazed over as the warriors pulled back, allowing it to fall to the ground with a loud thump. More blood cascaded out, pooling around the beast and melting the nearby snow, causing steam to rise.

The party wasted no time, sheathing their weapons and running toward Ty'ani's prone form.

"Ty'ani!" Haema cried out as she knelt by her side, brushing her dishevelled hair from her face. She was relieved to see that the Khajiit's sapphire eyes were still open, but the pupils were blown wide in obvious torment. Altwen darted to the girl's other side, removing her fur shawl and carefully lifted the injured girl, placing it under her to shield her from the snow. In the next second, Alasse knelt beside Haema, immediately assessing Ty'ani's wounds.

The puncture marks and gouges were easy to identify, but the Altmer had suspicions that she was also bleeding internally. She surmised that her collarbone was shattered, as were her ribs where she hit the rocks in force. Checking under her hair showed another bleeding injury, most likely a concussion. It was truly amazing that the girl was even still awake.

Tallying all this mentally, she glanced between the members with a serious look. "We cannot stay here. We must get her off the mountain, now!" she demanded as her hands glowed with the golden aura of healing magic.

Altwen scowled at that. "Ain't there _somethin'_ you could do for her?"

"I will close her wounds." Alasse reassure, assuming to the task. "But that is as much as I can do for now. The most crucial thing we must do is to get her back to the village. I will be able to tend to her properly in a warm environment, but not here. She will most assuringly die."

It was then, when Alasse closed the open wounds, that Ty'ani began to whimper and cough painfully, tiny flecks of blood flying from her mouth as she did so. That isn't good. That most likely meant that a rib had punctured a lung. The high-elf glared hard at each woman. "We have to move her now, or she will drown in her own blood!"

Reacting immediately, Haema wrapped the girl's cloak and Altwen's shawl around the small Khajiit, sliding her arms under the girl's back and knees and heaved her off the ground, her heart wrenching at her painful whimpers. "Lydia, grab her equipment! Altwen, light a touch, we must keep her warm."

"On it!" the half-elf replied, pulling off a long and thick stick from her pack. As she ripped off a piece of her own undershirt without hesitation and wrapped it tightly around the head of the stick, she spoke again. "Gods, why didn't she use her Shouts? That could've got her outta there."

"She must have obviously been panicking." Lydia surmised as she collected Ty'ani's knapsack and bow. "People don't tend to think straight when they panic."

Altwen accepted that explanation, allowing Alasse to light her torch with a small flame spell, touching her finger on it. It caught fire and Altwen ran over to Haema's side, being mindful to keep pace with her as they all began the long march down the mountain. The huntress frowned at this.

"Shouldn't we take her back up to the Greybeards?" she asked.

"No." Lydia disagreed, her tone suggesting that she was thoroughly frazzled by the sudden turn of events. "That would take too long, Ivarstead is closer. We don't have time on our side right now."

On her part, Haema was thankful that the small Khajiit weighed next to nothing, making the journey a lot easier on her. Gazing at Ty'ani's face, she instantly spotted the bits of skin that was exposed around her eyes and above her brows were sheet white, when they should be a healthy pink. Her skin was now blending in with her snow white fur. She also saw that the girl's eyes were beginning to roll into the back of their sockets, recognising that she was starting to fall unconscious. Knowing that could be potentially dangerous for her, Haema gently shook her awake so as to not aggravate her wounds.

"Ty'ani." she called out to her. "You must stay awake, do you hear. Do not close your eyes."

Ty'ani was trying, but her vision was incredibly blurry and dark patches began to enclose around the edges. She felt lightweight, as though she was floating, her body shaking as she became numb to the pain. She was going into shock.

"Hold on Kitten!" she heard Altwen say. "Just hold on!

Unfortunately, that was the last thing she heard as her head fell back. The last of her vision was filled with the grey clouds overhead, seeing them parting to give way to the blue sky and warm sunlight. She saw nothing else after that, as she slipped into unconsciousness.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Eventually, after what seemed like days, the exhausted adventurers finally made it back to the village. It was a moment of panic for them all, as on the way down Alasse's medical knowledge and magical prowess was stretched to it's limits, all in an effort to keep Ty'ani from dying.

Nearby farmers glanced over at the group in confusion, wondering why it was they were in a hurry. That was until they spotted the unconscious Khajiit in Haema's arms. Klimmek, whom was working on the grinder, immediately stopped his work upon recognising the group. Running over to them, he studied the girl in the large woman's arms. "By Gods, what happened?"

"We were ambushed by trolls." Haema quickly explained. "Please, we need to take her somewhere warm."

"Of course, of course." the Nord man agreed hurriedly. "This way."

Giving their heartfelt thanks, the women jogged after the man toward a nearby home. He pulled out a key from his belt-pouch, unlocking the door and opening it, stepping to the side to allow the women in first. He followed immediately after, shutting the door behind him.

"Put her on here." he said, moving toward a bed on the other side of the room. Haema and Alasse moved over, the Nord woman carefully placing Ty'ani on the straw bed. As Haema stepped away, the Altmer then got to work removing the cloaks covering the Khajiit, frowning as she studied her wounds. As it appeared in their haste, the punctures had reopened, fresh blood soaking through the once white shirt. Inhaling in preparation, Alasse began unclasping Ty'ani's stiff leather bodice, thankful for the convenient clasps as she peeled it open. The shirt was beyond repair however, completely ruined by the blood.

Altwen stepped up to the other side of the bed, presenting the high-elf with a small dagger. "Here use this. Be careful, it's sharp." she warned. Alasse frowned at that, wondering for a moment where exactly she was hiding that but didn't question it. She took the dagger, placing it down on the bed for now as she unbuckled Ty'ani's belt, then undid the lacing holding her leggings together, giving her easy access to the wound. Carefully peeling away the shirt, Alasse used the dagger to cut it open, revealing the three tears on her stomach. She spread the two pieces of cloth aside, placing the dagger on the end table beside the bed, deciding to leave Ty'ani's breast covering for modesties sake.

The half-elf huntress glanced to Ty'ani's face, seeing her grimacing in her unconscious state, her eyes darting under their lids as she took shallow breaths. Concerned, Altwen placed her palm over the girl's forehead, feeling cold sweat soaking her fur, added with intense heat in her skin. "Crap, she's got a fever." she informed them.

"I know." Alasse replied, her hands beginning to glow again. "But I must concentrate if I am to save her, give me space."

Altwen scowled at that, leaning back as she placed her fists on her hips. "Look, Ice Queen, I get that you're stressed right now, but you're spreadin' yourself too thin. No matter how you look at it, you are gonna need some help."

In turn, Alasse also scowled, but she had no other choice but to agree with the woman. She didn't have the luxury to argue with her, not with Ty'ani's life in the balance. "Very well," she said reluctantly. "See if you can bring her temperature down."

As Altwen went to do what Alasse told her, Haema turned to Klimmek with a look of gratitude. "Many thanks to you ser." she told him. "Words cannot express our gratitude to you."

"It's no problem. She helped me, so it's only fair that I do the same for her." he replied, studying the large woman before him, spying the blood covering the front of her armour. "You injured as well?"

Haema shook her head, her breath hitching in her throat. "No, I'm not. This is from the troll... and Ty'ani." he nodded solemnly at that, leaving her be as he exited the house with Altwen to help her retrieve some water from the well. Haema sighed, falling into a chair next to Lydia, watching and waiting for Alasse to finish anxiously.

While that was going on, Alasse began the long and tedious operation. Her glowing hands hovered over the Khajiit's stomach and shoulder, closing her eyes in concentration and taking steadying breaths to focus herself. The deeper in the trace she became, the more aware of the magical energies swirling between them, focusing on Ty'ani's essence to assist her in repairing the girl's body. Soon enough, she could see the injuries within, discovering that the girl did indeed have internal damage. The bleeding had long since stopped, but she was far from stable, so Alasse needed to repair this as soon as possible.

Immediately, she found foreign material within her wounds, surmising that it was infection. Concentrating, she nullified it and once clean, she starting focusing on resetting the bones.

She began with the rib still lodged in Ty'ani's lung. The high-elf had to be careful though, as one wrong move could be fatal and the last thing she wanted was to cause more internal damage. She hovered both her hands over the affected area, furrowing her brows in concentration as she slowly began to manoeuvrer the bone out. At the same time, she repaired the damage done as the rib slowly slipped out, keeping blood from clotting and entering the lung. It was exhausting work, as her forehead started to form beads of sweat, but at long last, the rib slipped out the muscled airbag. She sighed as she repaired the lung, turning her attention to rejoining the ribs, sealing them with a controlled stasis spell to keep them in place for now.

As Alasse moved on to the collarbone, Altwen returned with Klimmek, hauling a bucket of water and placed it beside the bed. The Nord man grabbed a rag from the mantle above the fire, handing it to the woman, who immediately dumped it into the cool liquid. Wringing it out, the huntress dabbed the damp and cooled rag on Ty'ani's forehead, cleaning away the sweat and soothing her raging temperature.

As the two tended to the Khajiit, Klimmek turned his attention to the other two Nords. Furrowing his brow in sympathy, he spoke up to them. "I'm sorry. You all must be exhausted. Allow me to make you some stew, maybe have a bit of mead."

Haema looked toward the man, a sad smile forming on her lips. "You are very kind. My thanks."

As he went off to begin his task, Alasse focused on Ty'ani's fractured collarbone. This was going to be slightly more difficult to repair than her ribs, as the pieces were small and sharp in most places. Any wrong move here, she may end up causing more harm and possibly damaging any local nerves and arteries. At this time though, the Altmer was beginning to become increasingly wary, feeling her mana pool was almost completely depleted. She frowned, forcing herself to hold on a little while longer as she located the all the bone fractures.

However, just as she found all of the pieces, that was when her head flared in pain. A clear sign that her mana was too low. She released her connection with the magical energies instantly, the golden glow disappearing from her palms, groaning in pain and massaging her forehead. Blinking her eyes open, she immediately noticed another side effect of having low mana, as she had become temporarily colour blind.

Seeing the high-elf rubbing her head in pain, Altwen frowned in concern. "What happened?" she inquired hurriedly. "What's the matter?"

Groaning, Alasse tentatively answered. "My magicka is too low, I cannot concentrate for much longer."

Understanding instantly, Altwen dropped the rag into the bucket and grabbed her bag. After rummaging around for a moment, her fingers closed around the item she was searching for, pulling out a blue bottle. A magicka potion. She handed it to the Altmer. "Here, you need this more than I do right now."

"My thanks." Alasse replied, uncorking and draining the bottle, not even stopping to think why the woman had a magicka potion to begin with. Placing the empty container on the bedside table, she sighed as colour returned to her vision and her headache subsided, her mana regenerating instantly. Clearing her throat, she hovered her hands back over Ty'ani's shoulder, relocating all the bone fragments again. Like with the ribs, she carefully repositioned them back into place and conjured a controlled stasis to keep them in place.

With the broken bones taken care of, it was a simple job of using her healing magic to repair the broken flesh. With that done, she moved on to her head. For this, she simply cupped the back of the Khajiit's head, closing the wound as the skull was still thankfully intact. She sighed, now certain that the Khajiit was completely stable, she just needed regular healing sessions to help repair her bones and bed rest to battle the fever.

Leaning back, she dissipated the healing auras feeling her exhaustion hit her at once. Standing from her knelt position, the Altmer spoke to the others. "She is stable. All she needs now is bed rest."

"Thank you Alasse." Haema said. "I dread to think what would have happened if you were not with us."

"I second that notion." Altwen commented, lightly lifting Ty'ani to remove her bodice, shirt. As she removed Ty'ani's boots, she continued on. "So, Ice Queen... you still wanna leave? After this?" she gestured to the unconscious girl laying on the bed, covering her with her cloak.

Looking at the prone and whimpering girl, Alasse felt her insides twist. She would readily admit that she is incredibly disgusted with what Ty'ani is, but after what happened today, she had begun to second guess her own decision. Head lowering as she sat in a spare chair, the Altmer sighed. "I believed I did." she confessed. "I believed that due to her profession, I could never bring myself to associate myself with her. But now..."

"Yeah, exactly." Altwen practically hissed. "She nearly _died_ up there. You didn't think twice about helpin' her, even though you knew what she does. Face it woman, if not for you, then we'd all be screwed. So you see, she needs you."

Frowning, Lydia pursed her lips. "As much as I'm not believing I'm saying this, she is right." she glanced at the blue robed woman next to her. "Without you, she would have most certainly died. If that happened, then Skyrim would surely suffer for it. I understand your feelings in this matter, more than anyone, but you are needed."

"And I see that now." the Altmer agreed, raising her hooded head. "I never did foresee that my assistance would be crucial to her, I believed I would not be needed. But I will admit that I was in the wrong, and I am sorry for that. Therefore, I shall remain."

Haema smiled at the mage. "And we will be happy to have you with us, Alasse."

As Klimmek began heating the water for the stew, he wiped his hands as he began chopping the vegetables, glancing over toward the women for a brief moment. "Forgive me for interrupting," he began. "But you speak of... what's her name, Ty'ani? You all speak of her as if she's important. May I ask why?"

Straightening in her seat, Haema looked at Klimmek with a nod. "That is because she is. I'm certain that you heard the Greybeard's call a week ago? To the Dragonborn?" at his nod, she continued. "They were calling her. She is the Dragonborn."

His eyes widened at that, lowing the knife he had to the table. "Truly?"

"It's true." Lydia affirmed.

"By Gods." he breathed. "I hardly even believed that the Dragonborn really returned, but this... the Dragonborn in my home. In that case, she's more than welcome to stay as long as she needs to shake off this fever. I'm honoured to have the legendary Dragonborn in my home, no matter what her species is."

After acknowledging their thanks, Klimmek returned to preparing the stew.

Once ready, he left it to bubble, retreating to the cellar to collect bottles of mead for his company. While he was gone, the women began to remove their forgotten cloaks and sullied armour, busying themselves with cleaning them to get their minds off the Khajiit in the bed. When Klimmek return however, that was when the entrance door opened, revealing another Nord man with long auburn hair and a typical look of a farmer. Upon seeing the bodies within, the man did a double take.

"What in the..." he muttered, his eyes snapping to the only other man. "Klimmek, what is this? Who are these people? And what is that Khajiit doing in your bed?"

The adventurers were quite put out by the sudden appearance of this man, but Altwen frowned in annoyance. "You best watch your tone, _friend_." she spat mockingly. "Or you can be sure that I'll knock a few teeth out."

"Altwen!" Haema scolded.

Seeing his accomplice seethe at the huntress, Klimmek attempted to keep the peace. "Bassianus, it's fine. She was critically injured and needed shelter to heal."

"But she's a Khajiit. In _our_ house."

"And she's also the Dragonborn!" Klimmek yelled back, silencing Bassianus instantly. "Under no circumstances will I allow the hero of Skyrim to die, not when I can prevent it."

The other Nord male blinked, his mouth agape as he processed what he was just told. It was obvious he had trouble believing the information given to him. In any other situation, the rest of them wouldn't believe Ty'ani being Dragonborn either at first, if they hadn't seen the proof for themselves.

Finally, Bassianus spoke. "You've lost your head Klimmek. There's no possible way a _Khajiit_ , of all things, can be the Dragonborn."

"Not so impossible." Lydia snapped, standing sharply from her seat with a deep frown. "The Divines care not what race one is; they believe her to be worthy of that power as every species are equals in the eyes of the Gods. Also remember that the legends never really spoke of what race the Dragonborn should be, and you should be thankful that she is here to fight the dragons."

Her words had an immediate effect on the man, as he fell silent. There was no denying that she was right, the Gods had brought the Khajiit race to Tamriel just as they did with the Nords, and they had just as much a right to exist in this world.

Now with that mess out the way, Altwen returned her attention back to the unconscious girl. Wringing the rag again, she dabbed it on her forehead to clear the reforming sweat. She was really concerned. Alasse may have fixed her up, but the fever seemed _really_ bad, as she could feel the heat radiating off her skin. This could take days for her to shake off.

"You'd best get better soon, you hear me Kitten?" she whispered as she dunked and wrung the rag again, unfurling it to drape it over Ty'ani's forehead. "The world is gonna need ya."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

 _Oh wow, I must really have my muse back. After having writer's block for a while, it makes a refreshing change. I know that it has been only a few days, and I really should space my chapters out more but still, after the long wait of the last one..._

 _Well, consider this an early Christmas present (even though it's still November, derp)_

 _Edit: Did some quick editing to correct some silly mistakes. It was like, one in the morning when I posted this._


	8. Out of Balance

**4E 201  
9th of Evening Star**

She's here again, floating in the void. This time however, she felt cold. She hated the cold, wishing that she could feel the warm sun against her face and sand under her toes. But at this point it was all wishful thinking, it's likely that she'll never return to Elsweyr ever again.

The last thing she remembered before falling unconscious was an intense pain, unlike anything she had ever felt in her life. Ty'ani gasped as she curled into a ball, knowing that it would be futile to find anything in this darkness. The last time she was here, it was comforting, but this time...

"I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here. Please, I cannot be dead, don't let me be dead." she chanted over and over again, squeezing her eyes closed and wishing that it was true. But after being hurt by that troll, there couldn't really be any way that she'd survived. "Please let me go. Please let me go, please."

All of a sudden, Ty'ani had the feeling that she was no longer alone. There was something here with her, the air becoming even more chilled, almost becoming unbearable. She whimpered, curling into a tighter ball to ward off the foreboding air to no avail. Her lungs had began to feel compressed, finding it more difficult to inhale air. Panic raised in her being, feeling increasingly claustrophobic despite there being nothing surrounding her.

A voice suddenly came into being, reverberating through her bones and alighting her senses with fear.

" _ **Zu'u koraav hi, Dovahkiin.**_ " it bellowed, the tone dark and deep. " _ **Zu'u mindok hin sahlon, Zu'u mindok rinik su hi sum. Hi fen ni iliis fah pogaas lingrahiik.**_ "

Ty'ani buried her head deeper into her arms, even though it was obviously in vain. She was so _scared_ , her whole body shaking in terror as she slammed her hands over her ears. That didn't help at all, as the evil voice could still be heard, as if it was echoing within her mind.

It was then that her body was forced to unfurl, completely without her consent, as if her limbs had a mind of their own. She was spread eagled in an instant, her consciousness a slave to her own body. She tried to scream, but it was as if her breath had been stolen from her, her lungs feeling tighter. It was like she was drowning. Her terror increased. She can't swim... she can't swim... she's going to die.

" _ **Hin sil fent kos dii, Dovahkiin.**_ " the voice roared out again, still having not shown what it really is. Frankly, Ty'ani didn't want to find out. __" _ **Pah hi mindok fent kos du.**_ "

Tears cascaded down her cheeks, eyes rolling into the back of their sockets as she gasped for air. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she couldn't even _breathe_.

But then, all of a sudden, something was forming before her. The darkness became alight with red, as two flaming orbs materialized, locking onto her. Her already paralysed body became even colder under the gaze, truly fearing for her life as they glared at her with malice and hunger.

" _ **Zu'u fen kos hin tumah, Dovahkiin.**_ " the voice bellowed again, but now that Ty'ani had a visual of what it was, her fear increased ten-fold. __" _ **Zu'u fen kos hin oblaan. Hin sil ahrk kopraan los dii.**_ "

' _No! No! NO!_ '

At last, it appeared Ty'ani finally had some air in her lungs, and had control over her body. She let out a shrill scream, fighting against her bonds until she was free. "NOOOO!" she cried, air rushing through her ears as she fell forward.

All of a sudden, her shoulder and side exploded in pain, her skull flaring instantly with an intense headache. She let out another cry as she fell backward, her back thumping against a soft and furry surface. Whimpering, the Khajiit moved her hand to her collar, surprised when the limb obeyed her command.

Following that, her senses began to return one by one. She could smell the familiar scent of a smoking fireplace, followed by the sound of the crackling flames. As well as a familiar voice.

"Ty'ani!" it yelled, followed by heavy footsteps thumping closer to her in fast succession.

As her eyes were still closed, she didn't quite know who it was, but it was definitely one of her companions when they placed gentle hands on her uninjured shoulder and the side of her head. Following that was the voice of someone she didn't recognise, causing her fear to flare up again.

"By Gods, is she okay? What happened?"

"Crap," replied her companion, the slurring dialect quickly revealing it to be Altwen. "She must've aggravated her bones."

"I'll go get your friend." the man said hurriedly, followed by a door opening and closing.

As the pain began to die down, Ty'ani tallied the situation. Altwen was here with her and no one else, as well as an unfamiliar man but he clearly meant no ill toward them. She could still move so she wasn't tied down. Therefore, she was completely safe. But that all aside, she felt so weak and was in so much _pain_. She struggled to regain her breath as Altwen brushed her hair from her face.

"It's alright Kitten," she assured in a soft voice. "It'll pass. Just breathe."

Following the instruction, Ty'ani inhaled and exhaled steadily and before long, the pain died down to a light throbbing. Shadows danced behind her eye lids and she tried to open her eyes, but her lids would not obey. So she willed herself to move, only for Altwen to gently push her back down.

"Take it easy." she ordered, followed by sloshing water before something wet was dabbed on her brow. "You've only just fought off a fever, we don't want you gettin' another one."

Since sitting up was clearly not a choice, both from Altwen keeping her down and from the pain still in her system, Ty'ani instead settled for trying to force her eyes to open. At last, she managed to squint but all that she saw were blurred shapes and colours. She blinked several times to clear her vision, coming face to face with Altwen's beautiful bronze face. The huntress' full lips smiled softly, looking down on her with relief in her forest green eyes. She was dressed in her brown bodice and breeches with its gold buckles, her sleeves rolled up her arms and her head completely bare, showing her tied red hair and elven ears to the world. A bucket of water sat beside her on the floor with a wet rag in her hand, which she soon folded onto the rim of the bucket.

"There we are." she said tentatively. "How you feelin' Kitten?"

Ty'ani tried replying, but her throat was so dry and scratchy it made speaking near impossible. Seeing this, Altwen grabbed a pewter mug from the bedside table. Tilting her head up, she helped the Khajiit drink the cool and refreshing water. Throat now wet, she tried again.

"Really sore." she gasped hoarsely.

Altwen nodded as she placed the mug back down. "Yeah, no surprise there, you were messed up real bad. It's a really good thing that Alasse was here, otherwise you would've never made it."

That caused Ty'ani to frown in confusion. "Alasse?" she questioned.

As if on cue, that was when the door opened, permitting a stocky Nord man in a dirty tunic and breeches and shoulder length auburn hair. Following him was the familiar tall and blue robed form of Alasse. Acid green eyes locking onto her, the high-elf approached swiftly, dropping her tiny tan satchel down as she knelt at the other side of the bed.

"Ty'ani, thank the Divines your awake." she breathed in a soft voice, bringing her hands up as they glowed with green auras. "Bassianus tells me you may have aggravated your bones. You must refrain from moving so sharply as they have not yet fully healed."

As her hands glowed brighter, Ty'ani felt her collarbone and ribs tighten, the Altmer obviously conjured a stasis spell of some sort to keep them in place.

On her part however, Ty'ani just continued to stare in surprise. Alasse was still here? She thought that she was leaving. Seeing the questions in her eyes, Alasse sighed as the green aura died down and replaced it with a warm golden glow. "I know of what you will ask, Ty'ani." she explained as she channelled a small surge of healing magic to her bones, easing the pain slightly. "I will have much explaining to do, I am sure. For now however, save your questions for when you are healed. Merely know that I have reconsidered leaving."

Still very much wanting to blurt out all the questions raging in her mind, Ty'ani instead just nodded, leaving the issue be for now. The healing magic dissipating from her hands, Alasse stood back up, collecting her satchel as she did so. "I will inform Haema and Lydia that she is awake." she told Altwen. "Be sure that she has some sustenance as soon as possible."

"Yeah, no problem." Altwen promised with a nod. At that, the Altmer turned and exited the house. As she did so, Ty'ani took the time to study where she was. It was a spacious area, a nearby fireplace and wax candles dotted around brought light to the otherwise dim interior. There was very little décor, apart from goat skin rugs, wooden furniture and a mounted stag head over the mantelpiece. There were no windows though, which didn't help to clue Ty'ani in on where she was. Turning to Altwen, she croaked out. "Where are we?"

"Ivarstead." the half-elf simply replied.

The Khajiit frowned at that. "The last thing I remember, we were still on the mountain. How long was I unconscious?"

Altwen pursed her lips at that. "A little over a week." she replied. "The whole time you were fightin' a fever, we were beginnin' to fear that you'd never shake it off."

"Aye," exclaimed Bassianus, bringing Ty'ani's gaze to him as he stepped closer. "You're made of strong stuff lass, to have survived a troll attack. Not many can brag about that."

Ty'ani didn't really hear what was being said exactly, as she was still in shock. A week? She'd been unconscious for a week? By Gods, that troll really did leave her out of sorts, didn't it.

After a moment of pondering, that was when the Khajiit girl was broken out of her revere by Altwen gently beginning to pull her up into a seating position. As the blankets folded off her and came to rest in her lap, only then did she realise that she was scantly clothed, covered only by her breast covering and small clothes. She blushed and bunched the blankets back over her chest once up, the material covering her once more. Bassianus walked over and offered her a bowl, keeping his eyes averted. Blinking, it took her a second to realise that it was a bowl of chicken stew, her nasal senses coming alive with the comforting scent, making her mouth water. It was only then that she realized how hungry she was when her stomach growled.

The Nord man smiled. "Figured as much. Here, you best eat up and regain your strength."

She took the bowl gratefully, feeling the warmth seeping through the wood and to her palms. Plucking out the spoon buried within, Ty'ani took the first mouthful greedily, moaning happily at the warmth, feeling as though she hadn't eaten in years. Bassianus and Altwen smiled at that. "There we are." he said with a nod. Before long, he began to turn and leave. "Now I'd best be getting back out in the fields. Klimmek and I will be back to check on you later." with that, he exited through the entrance door.

As she continued to dig in to the food, Altwen leant back in the chair she was sitting in. "I'm glad your awake Kitten, you gave us quite the scare."

Looking up, Ty'ani swallowed what was in her mouth before replying. "I think I scared myself." she admitted. "I really thought I was going to die there. But Altwen, has it really been a week? What have you lot been doing that whole time?"

Altwen shrugged. "Oh you know, this and that. Haema and Lydia's kept busy helpin' out at the mill and taking care of any bandits that stray too close. Alasse does... whatever. I never really see a lot of her, but I'm assumin' it's somethin' to do with that big book of hers. On top of takin' care of you as well." Crossing her arms, she smiled. "As for me, I've been keepin' busy by keepin' the village stores stocked. Oh and I also helped out the mill owner with some bear problem."

"Bears?" Ty'ani inquired.

"Yeah." the half-elf nodded. "Apparently somethin' about how the local bears tear up the trees and ruinin' her business. Eh, she paid me well though, so I really can't complain."

Silence fell between the two of them after that, Ty'ani looking as though she was trying to search for the words to say in between bites of her stew. It didn't take her long to finish it though, setting the wooden bowl aside on the end table. Now with something warm in her belly, her eyes had begun to droop again.

Seeing this, Altwen rose from the chair. "You'd best get some more sleep Kitten, you still got some recoverin' to do."

The Khajiit nodded warily in agreement. "I think I will." she carefully settled herself back down on the mattress, covering herself with the blanket, wincing when a tiny hint of pain flared in her shoulder, sighing once settled.

Altwen went toward the entrance, retrieving her unique bow, quiver and cloak as she did so. Before leaving, she turned back to the slowly drifting girl. "Hey Kitten?" Ty'ani clearly had her eyes closed, but still hummed in acknowledgement. "Hows about the next time we come across a troll, you run the other direction, yeah?"

"I'll try..." Ty'ani moaned sleepily. It wasn't long after that when she fell back asleep, her head lolling to the side. Altwen merely smiled, draping her cloak over her shoulders, followed by the hood and her quiver before stepping out into the cold. Best make sure to reassure the others that Ty'ani's alright, then maybe go for a quick hunt.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

It took another four days, and many healing sessions with Alasse, before Ty'ani was deemed fit for travel. In gratitude of allowing her to stay in their home, Ty'ani offered Klimmek and Bassianus a bag of gold for their kindness, which they graciously declined. Klimmek had told her that it was the least he could do after she had helped him.

Bidding the two farewell, the group of women entered the Vilemyr Inn to stock up on provisions and have a hearty meal before leaving. Seating themselves down, they immediately dug in. As they did so, Haema spoke to Ty'ani.

"I'm glad to see you up and about Ty'ani."

"As am I." the girl replied. "To be honest, I was going a little stir crazy just sitting there doing nothing."

Altwen laughed. "Aye, I get that. Being bed ridden's not any fun at all." she patted Ty'ani's shoulder. "But hey, least you not got any more scars marrin' your sexy body."

Ty'ani shook her head and rolled her eyes at that comment, not at all surprised by Altwen's antics. She continued smiling until she glanced over toward her Housecarl, seeing that she had her head lowered. Hearing the brunette sighing regretfully, Ty'ani decided to speak with her. "Lydia, are you alright? I haven't seen you since I woke up and you haven't said a word all day."

Frowning, Lydia let out a growl. "No, no I'm not alright. I feel like a failure."

This confused the Khajiit. Why ever would she think that? Is this why she had been avoiding her the past few days? "What are you talking about?"

Sighing, the Nord woman replied. "Let me put it to you plainly, Ty'ani. I will admit that I don't entirely like you, but you are my Thane and it is my duty to protect you. I have failed in that regard."

"The bloody hell do you mean by that?" Altwen quipped, a deep frown on her face. "She's fine. As far as I see, you failed at nothin'."

"That's not the point." the warrior snarled. "If I had been a better Housecarl, then none of this would have happened in the first place. In retrospect, my honour is now forfeit."

Shaking her own head, Haema then threw in her two Septims. "Lydia, none of us could have predicted what happened. There was nothing any of us could do to make it better, especially not now. The only thing that matters is that Ty'ani survived. Take comfort in that."

Lowering her head again, Lydia sighed. She still felt bad, but Haema was right, there wasn't anything she could do to change the past, no matter how much she wanted to. As of now, Ty'ani has completely recovered and that's all she could really ask for.

The Khajiit in particular gazed at her bodyguard with a kind smile. "Lydia, if it's any consolation, I still think you're a great Housecarl."

The woman stared at the Khajiit with a blank look for a moment. Looking into those large sapphire eyes alighted a warm feeling in her chest. With a sigh she finally relented. She still questioned what the thief's motives are, but for now she was just happy that the girl was alive. "Thank you." she breathed at last.

Giving her one last smile, Ty'ani turned her attention back to her meal. But she felt a nudge on her arm, bringing her attention to the half-elf at her side. Altwen leaned in closer to her, beginning to whisper. "Told ya, you have a good heart Kitten." after that, she too returned to her meal.

Ty'ani just huffed with another smile. As she took a few more bites of her meal, that was when she decided to glance around to the others. She spotted that Alasse had hardly touched her food, her hooded head down and her lips tight. A little concerned, she addressed her. "Alasse? You've been really quiet as well, is everything okay?"

"I do not wish to alarm anyone," she began, her voice low. "But those men over there have been staring at us since we entered." now on edge, the rest of them went to see what she was talking about only for her to hiss at them. "Do not look."

They followed her instruction, forcing their gazes back between each other. Unsure of whether they were just curious of them or if they meant them harm, Ty'ani shivered as she inquired quietly. "What do we do?"

On her part, Altwen didn't seem worried at all. She looked between each of them with a smirk, before she winked. All of a sudden, she jumped up out of her seat, stretching her arms over her head before collecting her equipment. "Well," she said at volume. "It's been real fun, but I think it's time we all parted ways. I'm gonna get a drink. A little pick me up before hittin' the road, you know? Be seeing you lot 'round, and good luck on your journey." and with that, she sashayed off toward the bar without another word. Thoroughly confused, the rest of them just followed her movements.

The huntress leant forward on the bar after depositing her kit, purposely arching her back to accentuate her waist and hips. Glad that she hadn't yet completely armoured up, she used her tight leggings to her advantage to show off her backside. Ordering a bottle of ale, she uncorked and took a long drink from it. She then turned around, leaning back against the counter, being sure to curve her waist around the lip of the surface. She took another sip, gazing around the break room with an intent look.

She spotted the two men that Alasse had mentioned. One was a well muscled and gristly middle aged man, most definitely a Nord, his brown hair and full beard sporting a wide selection of grey. The other was younger, and very obviously a Breton. He sported dark mahogany hair which came down to his shoulders, and had a goatee and moustache. It was a little difficult to tell, but it appeared that they both were clad in similar looking armour, consisting of a hefty curiuss over a thick overcoat, heavy metal shoulder guards and leather vambraces and boots. The only difference between them was that the Nord's was a white colour, while the Breton's was a dark grey. They were both seated at the same table, the older idly smoking a long pipe, the occasional puff of smoke escaping his lips. Also, laying in between them under the table was a very handsome dog. It was a white husky with dark grey spanning it's back, covered in some sort of armour as well. It appeared to be dozing at the moment but alert, as it rested it's head on it's paws with it's eyes closed but the pointed ears were twitching at every noise. Altwen wasn't worried though.

Seeing that she had the attention of the Breton, she looked away purposely though kept them in her peripheral vision. She took another sip from the bottle, slowly and sensually, totally on purpose. She lowered the bottle, seeing a small drop of ale drip down the rim. Sensing the Breton's eyes ogling her, she slithered her tongue out and licked the drop with the tip before sliding it back into her mouth.

Sliding her gaze back toward the man, she saw that his eyes were bugging out and had a smirk plastered on his face. Smirking back, she stood up straight and sauntered over toward their table, being sure to put extra swing in her hips. Standing before the Breton man, she cocked a shapely hip and leaned forward to showcase her full bosom as she regarded him. "What some company, handsome?" she purred.

"Oh definitely." he immediately answered, excitement igniting in his eyes.

His companion glanced at them, frowning when Altwen draped herself over the Breton. Lowering his pipe, he cleared his throat. "We do not have the time for this." he said in a low gravelly voice.

The Breton glanced over to his partner, shrugging his shoulders. "Oh come now, there's always time for a little fun." he placed his hands on the huntress' hips as she ran a hand over his armoured chest.

"Of course there is." she agreed, leaning toward him and licking his exposed neck. "There's always time to have a little pleasure, even in these troubled times."

The man squeezed her ass at that. "Now now darling, let's not think of that."

"Yes, of course." she nodded, leaning over to their table as she massaged one shoulder, causing him to close his eyes in pleasure. "How about a little drink, Sugar?" unbeknownst to them, as the Nord was looking away in disgust at this time luckily, she had slipped out a little vial from a belt-pouch filled with clear liquid. Uncorking it with her thumb, she quickly and carefully poured the substance into both of their drinks, being sure to keep the Breton distracted and watching from the corner of her eyes that the Nord doesn't turn. Seeing that she was in the clear, she hid the empty vial up her sleeve and grabbed one of the tankards.

Handing it to the Breton, she gave him a sultry smile as he took it. "I like how you think, sexy woman." he purred as he took a big swig.

"I know." she replied before leaning back. As she stroked his goatee, she lowered her other hand to behind her back, knowing that at least one of her companions would be staring at her. She discreetly gestured to the door, a subtle hint for them to leave. Sensing that they understood her, she kept an ear open as they began packing up and filing out. As they did so, the half-elf then leaned over the table, cupping the Nord's face and leant toward him. "And you..." she purred, running her fingers through his full beard. "What a _glorious_ beard you have. You must be the envy of men everywhere with this bad boy."

To his credit, Altwen had to commend this man for resisting her charms. In fact, he just furrowed his brow, as though he was fighting against shouting at her. Lightly gripping her arm, he pushed it away with a tight smile. "While I am flattered, m'lady," he told her with an air of impatience. "I'm afraid I must decline, as must my _partner_." he glared at the Breton when he said that, picking up his tankard and taking a sip before speaking again. "As we have important business to attend to."

"Aw." she moaned playfully as she leant back, pleased that her scheme was working. "Then whatever can a poor repressed woman like myself do should you leave?" Her mood then changed, not waiting for an answer as she slithered off the Breton's lap- hearing him groan in despair at the loss- and knelt down on the floor in front of the husky. "Oh, what a gorgeous dog you have." she gushed, letting the animal perk it's head up at her before she started stroking it.

Altwen knew that this wasn't just a common pet. This was a dog trained as a warrior and a blood hound, bred to sniff out targets and prey for their masters. So she knew that she was leaving her scent behind for the dog to follow later, but that was precisely what she wanted. She _wanted_ these two to follow them, if only to find out what they wanted from them without any witnesses.

The Nord slammed his tankard down on the table, leaning forward to push her away. "Please refrain from doing that, he is not the most friendly of dogs."

Sighing dramatically, she stood back up. "Oh, all right then. I can take a hint, I know when I'm not wanted."

Seeing her stepping back, the Nord grunted, finishing his drink before standing. "Thank you. Now if you will excuse-"

He was then unexpectedly cut off when his partner suddenly went limp, dropping out of his chair like a ragdoll bringing the cutlery on the table with him. The dog scrambled up from under the table when the pots clattered on the wooden floor, barking in alarm. Surprised, the Nord turned his gaze to the half-elf, suddenly seeing his vision double and blur. Staggering as he gripped his head, he growled. "What- what have you done?" he demanded.

"Sorry Old-Timer, nothin' personal." Altwen whispered, stepping back with a smirk as he too collapsed. Brushing her hands together in victory, she turned away from the scene and returned to the bar. Holding back a laugh as people turned to the disturbance, the half-elf looked at the tavern owner. "Well, those two certainly had too much to drink." she commented slyly.

"Aye," the owner sighed, lowering the rag he was using to clean the counter. "Not the first time something like this has happened. I'll sort it out."

As he went to handle the situation, Altwen pushed away from the bar and collected her equipment, shrugging her doublet on. Before long, everything was in place and she swiftly exited the Inn. Walking around back once outside, she immediately caught sight of the others saddling the horses. Spotting her in turn, they glanced at her questioningly. Haema stepped toward her, a frown on her face

"What in the world was that about, Altwen?" she demanded.

Smirk widening, Altwen shrugged. "Just a little sneakiness." she answered off handedly. "Let's just say that them two will not be followin' any time soon."

Shaking her hooded head, Alasse sighed as she mounted her horse. "We shall need to discuss your unorthodox methods some time in the future." she grumbled.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to remind ya."

It didn't take long before they were all mounted on their horses, and not long after that they were leaving Ivarstead behind. Crossing the bridge, they soon made it to the main road, on their way back toward Whiterun Hold.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

As the day rolled into the evening, the party going at a steady trot down the road, they rode through the forests of the Rift toward the cliff path to Eastmarch. The surrounding birch trees were very much bare though, their browning leaves littering the ground, covered in frost and snow. Despite winter obviously being here, the sun still shone overhead, providing a little warmth so that they didn't have to wrap up as much. Though that too was slowly diminishing as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.

Sitting atop of Altwen's chestnut brown mustang mare- which was affectionately called Acorn- in front of the half-elf herself, Ty'ani sighed. As the Rift was the base of the Thieves Guild, there wasn't much for her to look at that she hadn't already seen. But still, it was beautiful, even if she was slightly bored.

Looking next to her, Alasse was riding on her white mare, which she had finally named Aelsin. At this angle, she couldn't see her face due to the hood, but it was obvious that the Altmer was focused on the road ahead. Frankly, she didn't blame her, as they began to approach the steep path down the cliff.

She bit her lip. "Erm, Alasse?" she called out, breaking the silence between them.

The high elf inclined her head in her direction, pulling lightly on her horses reigns so she was now parallel to Acorn. Giving the Khajiit a sideways look, she replied simply. "Yes?"

Taking a deep breath, she began. "I was just wondering, now that you're staying with us, would you mind if I asked you a few questions?"

"You may." the Altmer nodded with no hesitance.

Having the go ahead, Ty'ani eagerly asked. "What exactly is it that you do for a living? I mean, I know that you're from the college in Winterhold, but not much else."

Alasse briefly turned her gaze to her lap, as the others had their attention on them as well, before answering. "If you must know, I am a teacher; a scholar. I teach the younger generations of mages of history, as well as the properties of magic. That aside, I am the second adviser of Archmage Tolfdir."

"How long have you been at the college?" the Khajiit continued to ask.

"Fifty years." she replied tersely.

That caught the Khajiit's attention in an instant, her head whipping around to stare at the high-elf in astonishment. She wasn't the only one. "Fifty?" Lydia questioned, clearly surprised. "How old are you exactly?"

Eyes rolling, Alasse replied. "Two-hundred and thirty-four."

Altwen whistled at that. "That's pretty impressive." she commented, before a smirk crossed her face. "Heh, I'm still older."

Looking round to glance at the half-elf, Ty'ani's brow quirked. "Why? How old are you?"

Altwen smiled. "Just turned three-hundred and twenty-three six days ago. I'm an old lady."

"A throw-back from your Bosmer heritage no doubt." Alasse bluntly pointed out.

"Yeah yeah." the huntress dismissed, waving a hand before gripping the reigns again. "But enough about ages. You do anythin' else then, Ice Queen?"

Letting out an irritated groan, Alasse rolled her eyes. "I do wish you would cease calling me that." she growled. "But to satisfy your curiosity, I also tend to travel to Nordic burial sites all across the land, documenting the history within the walls. All for my own perusal as well as the students. My main focus, however, is the Dragon War. It is a point in history that fascinates me the most, as there has not been very much on the matter within the history books, only speculation. With my research, I hope to remedy that."

Haema glanced back at that, a curious look on her face. "Is that why you wished to join Ty'ani in the first place?"

"In part." the Altmer admitted. "I had hoped that if I travelled with Ty'ani, then it would give me more insight on the dragons themselves. Admittedly, I do not relish the thought of facing one in battle, but the chance of _seeing_ one would be tremendously valuable to my research."

Ty'ani hummed at this, placing a finger under her chin. "You know Alasse," she began. "Maybe you and Jarl Balgruuf's court wizard should work together. He researches dragons as well. In fact, he's the one that sent me to retrieve the Dragon Stone in the first place."

Alasse hummed at this, quite clearly thinking the idea through. "I shall keep that in mind." she finally said.

Listening to all this with a keen ear, Haema then briefly turned to once again look Alasse in the eye. "All that aside, may I ask how you became the second advisor of the Archmage?"

Alasse lowered her hands to her lap at that, the reigns held loosely in her grip. "That is quite the tale."

"We've got time." Altwen shrugged, keenly interested in this topic as well.

Sighing, the high-elf mage began. "It was less than a year ago. Back then, Tolfdir was the advisor to the then Archmage, Savos Aren, and I a mere lecturer. We were given the task of taking a class of students to the nearby ruins of Saarthal, for academic reasons." it was here she paused for a moment, unlacing her water-skin and taking a small sip before continuing. "One of the students had found an artefact that caused him to become trapped. Tolfdir and I soon found a means of releasing him, but as a result, we had found an access route deeper into the tomb. There we found an artefact known as the Eye of Magnus. We brought it back to the college, which was our first mistake. After that, events became dire when a Thalmor Justicar had attempted to take the Eye's power for himself."

"I quested to Labyrinthian and retrieved the Staff of Magnus and used it to control the Eye. I was forced to kill the Justicar, as he had become mad with power." she lowered her head at that. "I imagine some time in the future that will reveal some consequences."

"So what happened to the Eye?" Haema asked.

"It was taken away by the monks of the Psijc Order, I know not where it is now." she explained. "But it is for the best. The world is not yet ready to handle that much power. The artefact was far too strong, it is truly a miracle that Winterhold had not been completely destroyed."

"That must've been awful." Ty'ani said. "But, if you saved the college, then why didn't they make _you_ Archmage?"

Alasse let loose a small smile at that. "They tried to. I declined. I may be a teacher, but I am also an explorer. Becoming Archmage would limit my abilities, and my research."

Leaving it at that, they continued to ride in silence. However, it wasn't long before they finally caught sight of a Nordic tower, a landmark that told them that they were entering Eastmarch.

"There is Nilheim." Lydia informed them. "I suggest that we stop here for the night."

"I agree." Haema nodded.

Upon riding closer to the tower, they soon caught sight of the bridge that lead to it. However, that wasn't the only thing they noticed. At the foot of the bridge was a small cart, looking as if it had been ransacked, with all sorts of items spilling out and spread around the area. In the centre of the mess was a man. He was sat upon the ground, hunched over as though he was injured. He wore a wine coloured tunic, white breeches and tanned boots. They originally seemed to be of fine tailoring, but now the clothes were tattered and filthy. Also, there was a battered hunting bow at his side, showcasing he obviously had just survived a dangerous encounter. Concerned, the group cantered over to him.

Hearing the numerous horse tracks, the man glanced up, his eyes widening upon seeing them. "Oh, thank Gods." he exclaimed in relief. "I thought you to be those bandits."

"What bandits, ser?" Haema asked him as they dismounted their horses. Kneeling at his side, the blonde Nord assessed him. "What happened here?"

"Bandits attacked and ransacked my cart." he told them. "I have nothing left. What bad luck to be beset upon by those vermin when my camp is just up there." he pointed toward the old tower. "I suppose I should count myself lucky that they didn't cut me to ribbons. But I fear that they will return. I'd hate to be a bother to you ladies, but would you be so kind as to keep a look out as I collect what I have left. I wish to be away from here as soon as possible."

Ty'ani stepped forward at that, a kind smile on her face. "Of course, we'll be happy to help."

All of a sudden, Altwen gripped the girl's shoulder, bringing her attention to the half-elf. "Now hold on a moment, Kitten." she said, her voice full of suspicion. "I'm gonna have to stop you there. I got a bad feelin' in my gut right now."

"What are you talking about?" Lydia questioned, her brows furrowing in irritation.

Exchanging looks with all the women, Altwen explained. "I'm tellin' you, somthin' about this just don't sit right."

At that moment, the man stood up, an impressed smirk on his face. "Oh, you are a clever one." he praised, the hunting bow in his grasp. Suddenly, he turned and sprinted over the bridge. "ATTACK, KILL HER NOW!" he yelled out. In the next second, several people in hide and leather armour appeared out of nowhere, weapons poised as they charged the group.

Taken by surprise, the women immediately scrambled, wrenching out their respective weapons and prepared themselves. Added with the clothed man, they counted at least ten men and women, four of which wielded bows. They ran to cover as the bowmen fired, their arrows clanging against the rocks they hid behind. In retaliation, Ty'ani, Altwen and Alasse returned fire. The bandits also retreated into cover, causing all of them to miss.

The horses whinnied as the bandits charged, galloping away for a few feet. Altwen smirked. "I knew it, you lot owe me a drink after this!" she yelled, emerging briefly out of cover to fire at one of the charging bandits.

Mind racing, Haema began shouting out orders. "Ty'ani, Altwen, fire upon the bowmen, give us cover! Lydia, watch my flank! Alasse, see if you can slow them down!"

"With pleasure." the high-elf growled, summoning flame spells in both her hands. With Ty'ani and Altwen keeping the pressure upon the bowmen, it gave her the window she needed. Snarling, she charged the spells for a moment before thrusting her hands forward. Flame shot instantly from her palms, igniting on the ground, spanning the width of the bridge and stopping the bandits in their stride. Alasse then brought her hands up with a grunt, controlling the flame with her will, making it grow in size. The whole surrounding area was soon brought to light by the fire, the orange glow dancing upon the rock faces.

The high-elf then turned to Haema and Lydia, seeing the blonde Nord nod. Understanding, she created a space in the fire wall for the two to traverse through. The moment the opening was large enough, both Nord women immediately jumped through, engaging the six people still upon the bridge.

With the Nords past the wall, Alasse resealed it and turned her attention back to the archers up on the rocks on the other side. She threw a fire bolt toward one as she retreated back, making way for the Khajiit and half-elf. It wouldn't be long before the Wall of Flame spell would wear off, therefore they had to make the most of what time they had and dispatch as many of the bandits as they could.

Upon getting on the bridge, Haema and Lydia had taken advantage of the element of surprise and managed to kill only two of their members, leaving four. However, the bandits quickly recovered, taking advantage of their greater numbers and surrounded the women instantly. The two before Lydia attacked as one, forcing her to block one strike with her shield and parry the other, straining her uncomfortably. The other two also attacked Haema at the same time, to which she blocked only one, while the other's sword glanced off her armour as she attempted to move away from it.

Haema's thoughts raced. These were no ordinary bandits, as most bandit clans were not this coordinated. No, this company was very well trained, more akin to mercenaries. She swung her battle axe to keep them at bay, trying to see if she could find a way for them all to make it out of here alive.

Meanwhile, Alasse, Ty'ani and Altwen wasn't having as much luck as their Nord counterparts. Thus far, they had only managed to kill one of the archers, the rest either stuck to cover or was continuously on the move making it difficult to take them down.

Ducking back behind cover as another salvo of arrows pinged off the rocks, Altwen growled. This was getting them nowhere. Looking over, she spotted Ty'ani and Alasse stuck in the same predicament that she was in. Mostly the Khajiit, as she had hardly a chance to return fire since the mercenaries focused the majority of their attention on her. It was clear in an instant that these people were hired to kill Ty'ani, though whatever for was currently not important. Getting them out of this mess was.

It was then that she got an idea.

"Hey, Ice Queen!" she yelled, getting both Ty'ani's and Alasse's attention. "You got anythin' more powerful up your sleeve?"

The Altmer nodded. "Yes, I posses a few expert level spells."

"You got Chain Lightning?" Understanding instantly what the woman was getting at, Alasse immediately switch one of the auras to lightning. Altwen smirked at this. "Perfect, here's what we're gonna do. Me and Ty'ani will draw their fire, get their attention off you. When I give you the signal, let 'em have it!"

"Understood." she acknowledged.

Nodding herself, Altwen pulled out three arrows, nocking all of them. "You ready Kitten?"

Inhaling a deep breath, Ty'ani nodded as she too nocked a couple of arrows. "Ready!" she exclaimed.

"GO!"

As one, the two archers bounded out of cover, firing their arrows toward the opposition. All of whom immediately dove for cover at the salvo. The Khajiit and half-elf jumped up onto rocks on opposite sides of the bridge, keeping spread apart to make themselves harder targets to hit. They both used their agility to their advantage, free-running over the rocks to make it all the more difficult for the mercenaries.

The plan was working, the three archers had their full attention on the two of them. Altwen decided to up the ante by somersaulting over a gap on the cliff side, firing at the same time to make her the bigger target. Rolling upon hitting solid ground again, she ducked under cover just as the enemy fired at her and yelled at the top of her lungs. "DO IT NOW!"

Instantly, Alasse darted out of cover, casting the most powerful mage armour spell she had on herself. Once the green aura surrounded her, she charged the lightning spell. Upon spotting the clothed man that had deceived them out of cover, she cast it. A loud crack exploded out, as a large bolt of lightning zig-zagged toward its intended target, striking true. It hit the bowman directly in the chest, causing him to cry out and become rigid as the bolt of pure electricity circled his system. As he went limp, the lightning then bolted to the next target, resulting in the same before hitting the final one. Within a few seconds, all of the archers were dead.

Back on the bridge, Lydia and Haema was forced back to back. The limited movement, added with the mercenaries coordination made scouring a hit difficult for them. They had begun to believe that they were not going to get out of this unscathed unless the others could provide them with assistance.

However, just as that thought crossed their minds, that was when the crack of lightning sounded out. They all jumped in surprise and before they knew it, the enemy archers were all dead.

Seeing this, the two Nords went to take advantage of the distraction, both letting out a war cry each that would have made their ancestors proud. Barely having time to react, the two on Lydia's side only just managed to defend themselves against the charging brunette, one raising his shield to block her sword while the other got Lydia's shield in the chest, pushing him back and winding him. The two on Haema's side were not as lucky, as the blonde had brought her axe down hard on one of them, breaking through his feeble defence and burying the blade into his shoulder. The weapon had cleaved a sizeable slash all the way down to the top of his chest, spurting blood in all directions. The mercenary was dead before he even hit the floor.

The other one however, seeing his partner crumple under the behemoth of a woman, immediately retreated back toward the tower. Just as Haema was about to pursue him, that's when they all heard it. A noise that caused all of them to tense. As one, they all turned their gazes to the sky, quickly spotting a shape that cut it's way through the darkness, travelling toward them at speed. It released a distinctive roar as it spotted them.

A dragon.

Seeing the legendary beast, the mercenaries attempted to flee. Only the two that Lydia was engaging made it off the bridge- since the fire spell had worn off- only to be cut down by Alasse and Ty'ani before the two retreated to cover. The last however, had attempted to run for the tower, hoping that he would be safe inside. He never made it. The dragon immediately dove for him, lashing out with it's teeth and snatching the man up in it's jaws. As it climbed back up, the adventurers heard his screams for only a few seconds, until the dragon chomped down, ceasing all noise and movement in a second.

As the beast flew overhead, something thumped down in front of Ty'ani and Alasse with a sickening noise. It took them only a moment to realise that it was the man's legs, the muscles twitching as blood and gore gushed out the ragged flesh. The Khajiit cried out in alarm while the high-elf let out a noise of disgust.

"Hurry, to the forest!" Haema screamed, all instantly following her orders. They all sprinted back up the hill toward the tree line, managing to make it into cover before the dragon banked back around. As they ran deeper in, the dragon soared overhead, causing the trees to violently tremble in it's wake.

"Bloody Oblivion!" Altwen cursed as she shielded herself from the powerful gust of wind. "Where on Nirn did that thing come from?!"

"That doesn't matter!" Haema answered, just as alarmed. "We must force it to land if we are to stand any chance against it!"

"How are we suppose to do that?" Altwen questioned. Before long though, she looked to Ty'ani. The Khajiit immediately shook her head.

"Don't look at me, I have no idea!" she shrugged, her voice hysterical. At that point, the dragon let out a bellow, banking round and diving again, an orange glow emanating from it's open maw. Knowing what this meant, the Khajiit yelled out. "GET IN COVER!"

As the women scrambled, the dragon roared, letting loose a jet of flame in their wake. It missed them luckily, but now the surrounding trees and shrubs were on fire, belching smoke up toward the heavens. The beast banked round again, roaring in fury before setting more of the forest alight as it flew over. The trees were instantly eaten away by the flames, the smell of burning wood filling the air as black billowing smoke swirled around the forest.

This effectively forced the adventurers, as well as their terrified horses, out of cover, running out of the forest coughing. Now out in the open, they were dangerously exposed to the dragon's fury. Hearing the creature roar yet again, they all parted ways, diving on their bellies to avoid the swiping claws that grazed the ground where they were last stood.

As the dragon climbed back into the air again, the group scrambled back up. "We need to lure it out into the open!" Lydia yelled.

"On the horses!" Haema ordered and they all instantly followed. Each running for their respective horses and mounting them, Ty'ani having to jump on Altwen's by leaping on a nearby rock, they immediately clapped the reigns and kicked their flanks to get them moving. The horses were clearly in a panic, whinnying and stomping the cobblestone path before they began to gallop down the path.

As they fled down a straight and flat stretch of road, a fireball suddenly exploded in front of them, wisps of flame flying in all directions. The horses panicked, bucking up and shrieking, the whites of their eyes completely clear. They fought to keep them calm, but a fairly sharp buck suddenly forced Ty'ani to fall off Acorn with a startled yell. She landed hard on her shoulder, manoeuvring herself into roll to cushion the stumble.

The beating of wings then caught her attention, panic rising in her chest as she scrambled to her feet. The white Khajiit glanced up, just in time to see the dragon land directly in front of her. As it's yellow eyes bore into hers, a low growl resounded from it's throat, scaly lips curling to showcase razor sharp fangs. Then without warning, it snapped it's jaws toward her.

Ty'ani let out a shriek, throwing herself to the side to avoid the strike, landing hard on her belly. Thankfully, she was saved from another attack by an arrow burying into the dragon's cheek. The beast recoiled at the sudden pain, allowing another arrow to penetrate it.

"COME ON YOU OVERGROWN SALAMANDER!" challenged Altwen as she fired yet again. While it was distracted, Haema and Lydia took the opportunity to get in close.

As it recovered, a series of ice spikes penetrated it's hide, courtesy of Alasse. Right afterwards, a battle axe slashed across it's snout, stunning it yet again. Letting out a roar of rage, it snapped it's jaws for Haema, but she managed to jump back to avoid it. As she regained her footing, Lydia rushed forward, slashing it's cheek as she went. The dragon went for her, but was again stopped in it's tracks from the powerful Nord lunging at it. Alasse and Altwen continued to lend support from the rear.

Infuriated, the dragon arched it's neck up before releasing a wild column of flame in their direction, forcing them to keep their distance to avoid it. Stunned, the adventurers were unprepared when the dragon burst through the smoke and flame, it's jaws baring down on Haema. Surprised, she barely had enough time to back away, batting her axe at it's face as she tumbled onto her back. Following that was more ice spikes and arrows in it's hide. That only succeeded in making it angry. However, just as it went for another attack, that's when a Shout echoed through the air.

" _Fus Ro_!"

A blue shock wave slammed into the dragon's side, causing it to stumble off it's front claws momentarily. Before it could recover, several arrows bounced or sunk into it's flank. Surprised, the wyrm turned to the source, seeing Ty'ani continuously firing upon it from upon a ledge, an expression of grim determination on her face. Growling, it sent a jet of flame for the Khajiit, whom just flipped acrobatically off the rock she was standing on, landing nimbly on her feet behind it, sheltering her from the fire.

Taking the chance to attack, Alasse and Altwen sent more volleys of their respective projectiles while keeping their distance, allowing Lydia and Haema to get closer once more. Lydia slashed at it's wing, tearing through the thin membrane with ease, while Haema once again slashed at it's face.

But before the dragon could retaliate, that was when something suddenly jumped upon it's neck. Roaring in surprise, it snapped it's jaws at nothing as something covered it's eyes. It was Ty'ani, and she had draped her cloak over the dragon's head, blinding it. As she let out a roar of her own, she stabbed her ebony dagger down through the furry material.

Her attack bore fruit, as a gush of blood squirted out, staining her cloak as it did so. She held on for dear life as the dragon screamed, bucking up and tried to shake her off.

Seeing that this was her chance, Haema went in for the kill. Like she did with the last dragon, she swung her battle axe hard, burying the blade into it's throat. Sanguine cascaded out of the fatal wound, flooding it's under-scales and the front of Haema's armour. Last vestiges of muscle movement travelled it's form for only a few seconds before finally going limp. The adventurers darted out of the way as the dragon's body crashed down, Ty'ani still crouched on it's head. Particles of dirt and dust billowed out from under the large mass, before all went still.

As the Khajiit stood carefully atop the dragon's cranium, that was when it's flesh began to melt away, turning to particles of flame. It flew in the air before turning to strands of light, circling the now skeleton before shooting into Ty'ani.

In response, Ty'ani's muscles locked, her arms spreading and her face turning to the heavens as her conscience accepted the dragon's soul, gasping at the intensity. At this moment she truly looked like a hero of legend, standing atop a slain dragon and devouring it's soul.

On her part, Ty'ani swore she could _feel_ the soul fighting her from within. Intense fear and anguish filled her inner eye as the soul interlaced itself with her own. Before long, she felt her body being released. Letting out a gasp, she collapsed from the skeleton's head, tumbling to the ground as her heart pounded behind her ribcage. She rubbed her head and took long laboured breaths to recover from the experience.

Putting away their weapons, her companions quickly rushed to her side. "Ty'ani! Are you alright?" Haema inquired cautiously.

Groaning, she sat up slowly. Between Lydia and Altwen, she was assisted shakily to her feet. "Gods." she gasped, leaning her hands on her thighs once she was up right. "I'm fine, just a little shaken up."

Stepping back from her, Altwen glanced between the bones behind her and the Khajiit before her, her expression one of awe. "Damn." she commented. "That is one _neat_ trick."

"Maybe for you." Ty'ani grumbled, straightening her posture. "It's not fun for me. I'm absorbing a _dragon's_ soul, Altwen, and I have no choice of rejecting it. I'm powerless to stop it. Do you understand how _violating_ that is?"

"Oh I dunno." the half elf laughed, shrugging. "You're not the only one that's had foreign things put into their body."

"Oh good Gods!" Alasse gagged, her tone full of disgust. "We do not wish to know of your past conquests, whore!" Altwen only laughed boisterously in response.

Trying to shake off the mental image that gave her, Ty'ani shook her head. Glancing toward the large skull, she grimaced at the sight of her cloak. It was completely tattered and covered in blood. There was no way she was going to recover that.

Seeing her expression, Altwen stepped toward the Khajiit, taking off her shawl and draping it over the girl's shoulders. Smiling in thanks, Ty'ani hugged it close to ward off the cold that had begun to worm its way into her body, speaking quietly to the rest of them. "Look, let's just get out of here and find somewhere else to camp."

After that statement, it didn't take long for the five of them to find their horses. Mounting up, they travelled a little ways down the road before Altwen spoke up again. "Hey, I dunno if you lot noticed, but those people back there were too well trained to be bandits."

"Yes, I know." Haema responded. "They were mercenaries."

Altwen nodded at that. "Exactly," she glanced down to Ty'ani. "And they were after killin' you, Kitten."

Ty'ani felt her fur stand up on end at that. "Me? Why me?"

"I dunno." the half-elf answered honestly. "If it wasn't for that dragon, maybe we could of found out. But either way, I have a feelin' we're gonna find out soon."

"Worry not, my Thane." Lydia reassured. "No harm will come to you so long as I draw breath."

Although Ty'ani was grateful for her reassurance, she still felt a bout of annoyance and hopelessness. This was just brilliant, not only is there dragons for her to worry about, but mercenaries are being hired to kill her as well. Whatever did she do to deserve this fate?

It didn't take too long before the group finally found a suitable camp location. They tied their horses to nearby trees, caring for the animal's needs before their own. As they erected their tents and got a fire going, they settled down in a circle around the pit, Lydia cooking up a simple stew for them.

While they waited, Ty'ani couldn't help but think back to the battle with the mercenaries and the dragon. She did her part, yes, but she couldn't help but think that maybe she's more of a hindrance than a liability. She sighed regretfully at that thought.

Seeing her despondent look, Lydia quirked a brow. "Are you well, my Thane?"

Surprised, Ty'ani jerked her head up, clearing her throat to recover from the sudden question. "Erm..." she began with. Glancing around at each of her companion's faces, she decided then and there to come clean. "Well actually, the truth is that I feel slightly useless."

"What you talkin' about Kitten?" Altwen asked with a frown. "You were a great help distractin' the dragon back there."

"Yeah, 'distracting'." she echoed bitterly. "I couldn't help you all properly. All I did was stab it in the eye and I lost my cloak as a reward of that."

"What are you suggesting then?" her Housecarl asked. Sighing, Ty'ani replied.

"With mercenaries and dragons now after my hide, I want to be fully prepared to face them all. I want to be able to run into the heat of battle and come out victorious. To do that, I need to learn to fight." she turned her sapphire gaze to Haema then. "As such, before I go to Ustengrav, would you let me come to your guild and learn to fight Haema?"

Blinking in surprise, Haema stared at the girl with a look that revealed her shock. Before long though, she smile softly, though it seemed forced. "I would be glad to help." she told her. "But, just simply entering Jorrvaskr to learn the art of swordplay is not advisable. If you want to do that, then your only choice is to join with the Companions, to become a permanent member."

Ty'ani couldn't help but feel apprehensive about that. "Well, it's not that I want to question your judgement Haema but, won't the rest of your organisation object to that?"

"Not if I have the last say about it." the blonde Nord reassured. "I will admit that not all whom apply are permitted to join, but I have fought beside you for a good while now Ty'ani. You have that fire within your heart that we seek. So long as you pass the first trial, you will be accepted, I can be sure of that."

Altwen piped up then. "And hey, don't worry too much Kitten. We'll all still be around, we're not about to go anywhere any time soon."

"But what of the Greybeards and their task to you?" Alasse asked. "It takes time to learn to use a sword. I am sure the Greybeards will begin to grow concerned if you take so long."

"But if I don't learn how to use a sword," Ty'ani argued. "Then I'll _never_ return. I don't want to learn everything, just enough for me to get by. I won't abandon the quest, I swear."

Smiling at the girl's determination, Haema finally relented. "Very well. As soon as we return to Whiterun, I will initiate you into our ranks. But be warned, when you join there will be no hold backs. You will rise early, you will train daily and there will be no excuses. You shall not be given cutbacks just because your the Thane and Dragonborn. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Ty'ani replied with no hesitation.

Lydia couldn't help but sigh at this. "Let's hope so." she muttered lowly.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

 _All right, just a quick note. This is going to be the last post until the new year, as I'm spending the Christmas period with my parents. Rest assured, I am not abandoning this story, I'm just going on hiatus for a little while. In the meantime, you all have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year._


	9. Taking Up Arms

**4E 201  
18th of Evening Star**

It took days before they finally made it back to Whiterun and by that time, the sun had begun its descent toward the horizon. Currently, while the month was wearing on, more and more snow had begun to fall and as such, the once green plains of Whiterun were blanketed with a layer of the white crystallised water. And by Gods, was it _cold_.

Regardless, the five women rode their horses to the stables. After collecting their equipment from the saddle bags and handing the animals off to the stable boys, they marched toward the archway leading to the inner wall. On the way there, Ty'ani happened to look over and to her delight, spotted Ri'saad's caravan. Turning back to her companions, she beckoned their attention. "Wait a moment," their gazes now on her, she continued. "I have a few thing I want to sell off first. I'll be but a moment."

Seeing what she was referring to, Altwen jogged up to her side. "Hey wait up, I'll come too." she exclaimed.

Giving the two a strange look, Lydia shook her head and went to follow after them. That was until Haema gripped her shoulder. "We will meet inside the city." she told her. At the Housecarl's acknowledgement, both Haema and Alasse continued on to the main gate while Lydia caught up with Ty'ani and Altwen.

Meanwhile, Ty'ani had stepped up to the camp of Khajiit, smiling brightly when Ri'saad himself spotted her. He too gave her a friendly smile, the older grey furred man standing from the tent. " _Ty'ani_!" he exclaimed warmly in their native language, offering a hand to her. " _It is good to see you again_."

" _You as well Ri'saad_." the girl answered, gripping his offered hand in a friendly handshake. She looked over, seeing the others of the caravan pacing over toward her, all of them giving her a warm welcome. Having been surrounded by Nords and elves for so long, it was very refreshing to be in the company of her own people again. Now if only Skyrim was a warm desert and all would be complete.

As Ty'ani was occupied with saying hello to the other Khajiit, Altwen locked gazes with Ri'saad. She grinned at him, speaking in his people's tongue to him. " _How's it goin' Tiger, good to see you again_."

" _Dear Altwen_." he greeted, spreading his arms to her in offering. Taking the hint, Altwen leant in for a quick hug with the old Khajiit. " _It has been some time_." he finished with a pat on her back, leaning away to look her in the eye.

" _Aye, that it has_." she nodded. Before long, she became serious as she glanced over to Ty'ani, seeing that she was nearly done with the greetings. Biting her lip, she looked back at Ri'saad. " _Listen, I'm gonna cut to the chase. Is she okay_?"

Understanding instantly what she meant, the old Khajiit merchant nodded his head, his long grey hair bobbing with the movement. " _Yes, last I heard she is well. Currently, she and the caravan are travelling for Solitude. I'd guess they will be there within a few days_." his amber eyes regarded the half-elf with a certain look. " _Will you be visiting her? She misses you greatly, as much as she won't admit it_."

" _I wish I could_." Altwen shrugged, a melancholic look on her face. " _But I'm afraid I've got no time for that_." before she could elaborate, that was when Ty'ani turned back around and walked toward them. Immediately changing her personage, she gave the male Khajiit a bright smile. " _Well, I will say it has been quite a while Ri'saad, I missed you terribly._ "

Frowning between the two, Ty'ani spoke up. " _You two have met before_?"

Taking the hint, Risaad nodded. " _Indeed. Altwen here has been a good friend to us for a long time_."

Completely oblivious to what they were talking about before she came over, Ty'ani nodded in understanding, gazing at the huntress. " _Oh yes, I remember you telling me about that Altwen_." looking around the two, Ty'ani spotted her Housecarl standing not too far from them, her hands folded behind her back. Seeing no one else, Ty'ani called out to the brunette in the Common tongue. "Lydia, where's Haema and Alasse?"

Stepping closer to the Khajiit, the Nord tersely replied. "They are waiting for us in the city."

"Oh I see. We'd better hurry then." she exclaimed to Altwen before turning to Ri'saad. "We'll have to catch up some other time Ri'saad. Right now, I've got some things I wish to sell."

"Ah, of course." he acknowledged, reverting to Common as well, gesturing to the large tent pitched up in front of their horse and carriage. "Come, let us see what you have. Perhaps we could make a little deal, yes?"

It took a few minutes of perusal of the caravan's products, appraising the two women's loose equipment they no longer need and identifying of certain objects, but soon Ty'ani, Altwen and Lydia traded farewells with the Khajiit and turned toward the city. Upon approaching the main gates, the trio were stopped by the guards. Expecting a refusal, Ty'ani was surprised when they pressed their fists against their breast in greetings. "Hail Dragonborn and Thane of Whiterun." the one on the left said.

Blinking in surprise, the Khajiit exchanged looks with her two companions before staring at the guards. "You know who I am?" she asked.

"But of course," the same guard replied. "It is not hard to forget your status, Dragonborn. I in particular, as you saved my hide on the day you were revealed."

Instantly understanding, Ty'ani nodded. "Oh, you were the one at the tower?"

"Indeed." he confirmed. "But I digress. Would you like to enter the city, Dragonborn?"

Ty'ani inclined her head in positive. "I would, yes."

Giving her a quick bow of the head, the two guards opened the massive gates of the city, allowing the three to enter. As they did so, Altwen gave Ty'ani a smirk. "Well, I guess there are some perks to bein' the most well known person in Whiterun."

Ty'ani shrugged. "I suppose. But frankly, I still prefer not being known."

It didn't take the three long to find Haema, as the Nord woman was being bombarded by two little girls in front of her home. Due to how much the girls were pushing against her while hugging, Haema was very nearly toppled over by the two of them. As they got closer, they picked up what the girls were saying over the market rabble.

"We missed you so much mama!" yelled the girl with dark hair.

"Did you slay a troll out there mama?" the blonde one asked. Both of their comments caused Haema to smile brightly.

"We did indeed slay some trolls." she told them as she untangled herself from their embraces, looking them both in the eyes with a bright smile. "We also slew a dragon!"

Upon hearing that, the girls exploded into a cacophony of questions. "Wow! What was it like mama?"

"Did it have big teeth?"

"Was it really big and scary?"

"How big were it's wings?"

"Girls, girls!" Haema commanded, immediately silencing the both of them. "Calm yourselves down. I'll answer your questions later but right now, could you tell me where your brother is?"

"He's helping ser Grey-Mane at the forge." the older one- with the black hair- told her, pointing toward the Wind District.

Haema nodded. "Good. Now, you two get yourselves inside and I'll be back later, wouldn't want to get sick would you?" After the girls shook their heads in negative, Haema continued. "It shouldn't take too long, and I'll be sure to bring your papa back as well."

The girls squealed in excitement at that before rushing inside the house, their chatter still being heard after the door closed. Smiling while shaking her head, the blonde Nord turned about, seeing the three of them approaching. Altwen placed her hands on her hips once they were before her, a big grin on her face. "Nice kids you have there." she commented.

Haema groaned half-heartedly at that. "Those two shall be the death of me one of these days."

"Oh, I bet they're just absolute angels really." the half-elf commented as she glanced briefly around. "By the way, where's Ice-Queen?"

"Alasse?" Haema questioned before continuing. "She went on ahead, said she had other business to attend to. In any case, shall we head to Jorrvaskr?"

Ty'ani nodded. "Yes, lead the way."

The four followed close behind the blonde woman, walking past the bustling marketplace, noticing on their way through that decorations were being put up. Judging from the style, it was in preparation of Baranth Do, the Redguard holiday that celebrated their new year. No doubt there was going to be a small party in honour of the tradition tonight, as the market will fill with Redguards that lived in the city and came to visit. With Whiterun being the neutral point of Skyrim, most foreign celebrations were often held here, encouraging more travellers and such to pass through.

Weaving their way through bartering customers and craftsmen finishing up the décor, they climbed the steps leading to the Wind District. After that, they bypassed the Gildergreen and climbed some more steps up to Jorrvaskr.

The meadhall was quite a unique sight to look at, the roof looking much like the underside of a ship's hull, decorated with intricately carved pillars with banners hanging from them. Round wooden shields were placed upon the 'roof', which was slightly worn, with obvious signs of constant repairs. This told the group that this building was very old, perhaps older than the city itself.

They finished climbing the stairs, entering the hall one by one. Upon entering though, there was a whole flurry of noise and movement. Quite bewildered, the women instantly spotted why, as there was a Nord woman clad in scaled armour fist-fighting with a Dunmer in hide armour. Others inside ran around the horseshoe shaped table in the centre- with a blazing fire pit between that- to gather around the commotion and watch the outcome.

The Nord and Dunmer shouted taunts at one another as they threw and avoided punches. The others around them hollerred in great amusement as they took bets on the fight, shouting out encouragement to the fighter they were supporting.

Slightly put out with all the noise, Ty'ani folded her ears down to blot out most of it, grimacing when the elf took a right hook to the cheek. From her side, she heard Haema sigh in irritation. "Gods sake." she groaned, stomping down toward the crowd. As for the others, Lydia merely watched the fight in interest and Altwen was grinning madly, mentally figuring out which fighter would win.

"I'm likin' this idea already." she commented.

Haema paced up to the crowd, stepping up behind a woman dressed in hunter's leathers. She had shoulder length copper hair, and green war paint across her face. On her back was a quiver of steel arrows and a finely crafted hunting bow with intricate patterns engraved into the wood, as well as a steel short sword on her hip. The blonde tapped her on the shoulder, beckoning her attention. Upon turning to see who it was, the woman's eyes widened before a genuine smile emerged. "Ah!" she exclaimed loudly, gripping hands with Haema and roughly shaking. "Harbinger. I'd begun to wonder if you would return."

"My apologies, Aela." Haema replied. "I had some important business to take care of. Now, would you mind explaining why these two are at it again?"

Aela just shrugged. "Who knows. But you know what they're like; always looking for an excuse to fistfight."

"Of course." the blonde groaned, rolling her eyes. "Just be sure that they don't break each other's arms again, like last time."

"I make no promises."

Haema huffed at that. "Well in any case, have you seen Vilkas? I want to speak with him."

Aela smiled. "You don't have to look far. He's just over there, enjoying the show." she pointed to the opposite side of the crowd. Haema nodded in acknowledgement, patting the woman on the shoulder before walking back toward the three still by the door.

Once near to them, she inclined her head. "All right, Ty'ani you come with me. You two go ahead and make yourselves comfortable." she left no room for argument, so they all obeyed her. Immediately, Altwen went straight over to the throng of people, intermingling with the yelling warriors and eagerly watching the fight.

Haema and Ty'ani meanwhile, with Lydia in tow, paced around the circle of people, locating a particular Nord man. He had rough features, with short black hair and was clad in heavy armour similar to Haema's, but not quite as elaborate. He stood beside another Nord male who had very similar features to him, though his hair was long and shaggy. Crossing her arms, Haema cleared her throat. "Vilkas."

Recognising her voice, the two men turned as one and looked to Haema. The shaggy haired one soon smiled, stepping up to her. "Ah, here you are. I was beginning to think you'd never show up."

Haema smiled at him, gripping his hand and squeezing it. "Hello Farkas." she said lovingly.

The other man, Vilkas, nodded to her. "Harbinger." he greeted.

Looking at these two men, Ty'ani instantly recognised them. They were both there fighting that Giant when she first met Haema. If she recalled, the long haired man, Farkas, was injured by it. Looking at him though showed that he was no worse for wear, even though that was at least a month ago now.

In response to Vilkas' greeting, Hamea patted him on the shoulder. Before she had the chance to speak however, that was when a loud resounding crack echoed out, followed by the crowd cheering and hissing in sympathy. The Dunmer had thrown a solid punch against the Nord's face, a trickle of blood dripping out of her now broken nose.

"Hah!" he laughed. "Bet you felt _that_ one, didn't you Njada?"

The woman growled, rushing forward and tackling the dark-elf to the ground, delivering a flurry of punches. Seeing that this fight was going too far now, Haema thought it was high time to step in. Wrestling through the crowd, though they parted once they realised who she was, she marched over to the two. Gripping Njada's shoulder, she wrenched her off the dark-elf, thoroughly separating them. "That's enough you two!" she growled. "Blood had already been spilled. You both are going too far, so break it up!"

Wiping her nose, Njada nodded. "Sorry Haema, won't happen again."

"Promise this time." the Dunmer added.

Huffing, as though she didn't believe him, she scowled before turning away. Seeing that the show was now over, the other Companions dispersed. Sighing upon returning, Haema pinched the bridge of her nose before lowering her hand. "Now, where were we."

"I believe you were about to introduce us to your... associates here." Vilkas told her, gesturing to Ty'ani and Lydia.

"Of course." she nodded, placing a hand on the white Khajiit's shoulder. "This here is Ty'ani, Thane of Whiterun and the Dragonborn."

Both men rose their brows at that, staring at Ty'ani incredulously. "Dragonborn, eh?" Vilkas murmured, crossing his arms over his chest with a cocked brow. "I heard that you were a Khajiit, but I expected you to be taller."

Slightly put out by their scrutiny, Ty'ani lowered her gaze and just shrugged one shoulder bashfully. Vilkas then looked over the girl's shoulder to gaze at Lydia, studying her too. "And you are?" he asked.

Straightening, Lydia answered immediately. "I am Lydia, Housecarl to the Thane."

On his part, Vilkas placed his hands on his hips as he pursed his lips, staring at Ty'ani once again. "And I'll admit that I'm surprised the Jarl appointed you as Thane as well."

"Don't be so surprised Vilkas." Haema said, crossing her arms. "But that is not the reason we came here. Ty'ani here wishes to join our ranks to learn the way of the sword."

Instantly, Ty'ani saw the two look to the woman in surprise. Vilkas in particular seemed to have a look about him that Ty'ani recognised as contentment. That was reinforced by his words. "Haema, surely you're not considering this?"

Haema's expression turned cold then. "I already have Vilkas." she told him with a tone of finality. "Last I checked, we had some empty beds here in Jorrvaskr that needed to be filled. Ty'ani has the aptitude and the fire within her heart that we seek, so I will hear no more on the matter. Now, take her out into the yard and see for yourself what she can do."

For a second, it looked as though Vilkas was going to put up an argument, but Haema's tone left no room for objections. Therefore, he obediently nodded his head. "Aye." turning back to the small Khajiit, he inclined his head. "Come with me."

As the Nord male marched away with Ty'ani close behind, Farkas glanced at his wife with a look of uncertainty. "Are you sure about this Haema?" he questioned. "She don't really look like much to me, and you know full well that Vilkas won't go easy on her."

"I know." she replied. "But you haven't seen her the way I have. She will find a way, I promise you that." with that, the two followed. Unknown to them however, a number of the Companions in the hall had overheard them and followed as well, clearly interested to see this event play out. Once they were outside though, it was hard not to notice the number increase as the awning that sheltered the back of the hall was soon crammed with people. Sighing, Haema crossed her arms and locked her attention on the two in the centre of the courtyard.

Feeling a hint of unease, Ty'ani kept her eyes on the Nord before her as he spoke, his eyes boring into hers. "All right, as the Harbinger said to have a look at you, we best get started. And no thinking that just because you're the Dragonborn and Thane that I'm going to go easy on you."

Ty'ani nodded, sizing up the large man as he spoke. He towered over her like most Nords did, but his heavy armour did nothing to hide his bulky physic. A well used but finely crafted long sword hung at his hip with a large round shield on his back. It was clear that he was well trained and a seasoned warrior. She couldn't help but shiver at this. ' _Gods, how am I ever going to get passed him_?'

"Now," he continued. "This spar will be melee weapons _only_ , none of that magic or using that bow of yours. So draw that butter-knife and show me what you can do."

The Khajiit nodded, removing her bow, quiver and backpack so they won't hinder her, though kept her cloak on but folded it over her shoulders. Gripping the hilt of the ebony dagger strapped to her thigh, she watched as Vilkas unsheathed his broadsword and unhooked his shield before leaning it against a nearby wall. She took a steadying breath as she adopted a combat stance, turning her side to face the Nord, weapon hand first, to make herself a smaller target. Vilkas lowered into a defensive stance, his form strong and weapon poised as he slowly approached her.

Ty'ani retreated to keep distance between them, during which her mind raced. Vilkas may be large of stature and strong of muscle, but that- added with his heavy armour- made him slower. She will never be able to break through his defence with her dagger, but she can use her smaller and more athletic form to her advantage. If she could get behind him, then maybe that might win her the fight.

Once that thought crossed her mind, that was when Vilkas went on the offensive. His sword cleaved straight down as she hopped back to avoid it. He didn't stop there though, as he followed through with a slash which forced her back even further. Ty'ani then darted to the side, both to put more distance between them and to avoid being cornered.

Vilkas frowned as he lazily spun his sword. "Come on girl, I can't evaluate you if you don't attack."

Knowing that he was just baiting her, she made no response. Instead, she quickly approached him before feinting an attack. As he went to block, she sharply backed away before pouncing to the side, rolling athletically behind him and striking once she was upright. Unfortunately, all she was rewarded with was Vilkas quickly pivoting around and blocking her attack, knocking it aside with a ring of metal. Surprised, the Khajiit followed through with the movement to gain some distance between them. This was going to be harder then she thought.

Turning to face her, Vilkas smirked. "Not bad, but you'll have to do better than that." he taunted.

Taking a deep breath, Ty'ani went in again with another feinted attack. This time though, Vilkas was expecting it, knocking away her weapon and bull rushed her, knocking her away with a solid blow of his shoulder. Caught off guard, the blow caused the Khajiit to be thrown off her feet, winded. When her back hit the ground, she let out a pained grunt, hearing the crowd _oohing_ at her misfortune. She scrambled up as Vilkas approached, though she didn't have time to make it to her feet as he attacked her again. There was a reverberating clang when the Nord's sword clashed against the ground as she threw herself to the side, performing a roll as she did so.

Back on her feet, the Khajiit barely had time to dodge another attack. It surprised her how quick Vilkas actually was, but she was much quicker. She backed up a few steps, goading the Nord to follow her and darted under his arm when he swung at her again. As they had manoeuvred close to the wall, Ty'ani immediately used the environment to her advantage, swiftly hopping up on some stacked crates. She pounced off them which propelled her toward a nearby flagpole, gripping the metal and allowing herself to spin around it. Letting out a loud yell, Ty'ani used the momentum to spin back round, letting go of the pole and toward Vilkas, legs first. Using her weight, she kicked her feet into the Nord's chest, bending her knees at impact and pushing, throwing the man back as she performed a backflip. She landed smoothly on her feet, immediately lowering into a combat stance as the watching Companions roared in approval. Paying no mind to them, she glanced up to take in Vilkas' surprised look.

Wasting no time, Ty'ani dashed forward to take advantage of the warrior's shock. She struck, but Vilkas quickly recovered, stepping back to avoid the blow, causing her dagger to swing at open air and almost caused her to overbalance. But before she could recover, Vilkas rush forward, his stance lowered, as he pushed his forearm of his unarmed hand into her abdomen, immediately throwing her to the side with no effort. She let out a cry of surprise, but recovered quickly, rolling on her shoulder to cushion the fall as she rose to her knees in a single movement.

She rose her gaze to lock onto Vilkas' form again, holding her abdomen with a wince. No doubt she will have an abundance of bruises after this. Vilkas spoke up. "Have to say I'm impressed." he praised, though their was no sense of pride in his voice. "But, you lack discipline and form. Your fancy moves won't save you in a real fight forever."

Wiping sweat from her forehead, Ty'ani scowled at the man as she panted. "I thought you were only testing me, not throwing me around like a doll."

"I _am_ testing you." he retorted. "But you have yet to prove anything to me other than the fact that your fast. Speed alone won't keep you alive, so prove that you can break through my defence before I deem you worthy."

Growling, Ty'ani rose to her feet, her dagger poised. She was becoming frustrated, and it was clear that Vilkas could see that, but she couldn't lose herself to it. Doing that would only get her knocked around some more. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself as Vilkas charged again.

The Nord man delivered an overhead swing, the steel whistling as it cut through the air. In response, Ty'ani ducked and allowed herself to fall on her side, viciously kicking the Nord in his belly. The mithril toe-cap connected, but his armour protected him from the worst of the blow. Still, it stopped him in his tracks for a second, allowing Ty'ani to use that time to roll away and dart behind him. She had only a small window of opportunity to finish this, and that time was now. Bending her knees and lowering her centre of gravity, she pounced on the Nord's back.

Heart pounding out of her chest, the white Khajiit grabbed his left pouldron and held on tight, locking her knees around his waist before bringing her weapon around and resting it at the juncture of his throat. Vilkas froze at this instantly, stopping any retaliation he could have made to throw her off him. In this position, his bulky armour made it hard for him to reach over his shoulder and grab her and with her weapon at his neck, it wasn't a wise move to do anyway. In any other circumstance, she could easily slit his throat.

All was silent for the moment, even the hooting and hollerring of the other Companions were absent, time standing still. The Khajiit felt the Nord breathing heavily, pressing the flat of the blade the tiniest bit harder against his neck. "Do you yield?" she hissed into his ear.

"Yes." he growled at last, letting his hands lower to his sides in defeat.

She removed the dagger and jumped off his back, satisfied that this was finally over. She panted as she sheathed her weapon, watching Vilkas turning to face her. She spied a tiny hint of red beading across his neck, realising that she may have pressed a little too hard with her dagger. She bit her lip bashfully, but he didn't seem to be bothered by it, just nodding at her. "Looks like you've proven yourself." he told her. "You've earned to right to join to Companions. But know this; I don't care if your Dragonborn or a Thane, you're still a whelp and will receive no special treatment. Understood?"

"Yes." she answered with a nod.

"Good." he responded gruffly, taking a moment to inspect his sword. Ty'ani wasn't entirely sure what it was he was looking for, as the sword looked fine to her, but he obviously saw something she didn't as he pursed his lips. Before long, he shoved the hilt toward her, prompting her to grab it, grunting when he let go. By Gods, it was heavy. "My blade is becoming dull, so take it up to the Skyforge to have Eorlund sharpen it. And be careful, that blade is worth more than your life." without another word- not even telling her where the Skyforge was- Vilkas left, disappearing through the throng of retreating Companions.

As he left, that was when Ty'ani spotted Haema, Lydia and Altwen coming toward her. Once by her side, Ty'ani scowled. "I don't like him." she said immediately.

Haema smiled at that. "I can see that." she replied while patting the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, he takes some getting used to, but he is a good man."

The Khajiit just huffed, appraising the sword the man had given her. At first glance, it seemed to be an average broadsword made from steel, but upon closer inspection that appeared not to be the case. The surface of the metal had very fine looking patterns, looking somewhat like ripples in a stream. It was quite beautiful to look at. The hilt was made from the same material, the grip wrapped with a soft and dark leather, and the pommel sporting the shape of a wolf's head. Maybe Vilkas was right about this weapon being valuable.

"Hey Kitten." came Altwen's voice, turning her gaze to the woman. The huntress had a huge grin on her face, her eyes alight with pride. "Just wanna say, those were some smooth moves you pulled off there. Really impressive."

Ty'ani smiled at the praise, grabbing her equipment and replacing them on her body. She soon turned back to Haema, deciding to do as Vilkas told her. "Haema, where exactly is the Skyforge?"

"Just up there." the blonde told her, pointing to the top of a nearby rock that had steps travelling up the side, leading to a plum of smoke that rose before a statue of a majestic eagle carved into the rock. As the Khajiit began to make her way there, Haema spoke up again. "I'll come with you."

Leaving Lydia and Altwen to return inside the warm meadhall, the two climbed the stairs. The sound of a hammer clanging on metal and a scraping noise soon reached their ears once they got to the top, the Khajiit pausing to take in the sight of the forge itself.

It was an impressive sight. The rock it sat atop had been flattened to accommodate the forge, iron braziers situated along the edges. A huge plum of smoke rose from the giant furnace, the coals burning bright and hot. The grey haired Nord, whom stood beside it, pulled on the pully-activated mechanism that hung above, the bellows it was connected to heating the forge even more. The elder Nord pulled out a strip of metal resting inside with a pair of tongs and placed it on the anvil next to him, banging it into shape with a forge hammer with strong strikes.

As for the blacksmith himself, it was clear that he was in his latter years, but he still possessed well defined muscles. Obviously from a life-time of working steel.

Haema had walked ahead of her so the Khajiit picked up her pace to catch up with her, seeing that the woman had a smile on her face. "Eorlund!" she called out over the banging and the burning coals. The blacksmith paused in his work, turning to face the woman. Upon seeing her, he too smiled as he laid his tools down to greet her. Wiping his hands on a rag, he pivoted around and spread his arms wide.

"Haema my girl!" he greeted warmly, wrapping his arms around the woman as she accepted his offering, returning the embrace. He patted her sharply on the back before pulling away. "It's good to see you again, lass. Been a while since your last visit."

"I'm sorry," she replied, looking a little sheepish. It was quite an odd thing to see on the usually confident woman. "I've just been fairly busy for a long while."

"Yes yes, many contracts and not enough time, I understand that girl." Eorlund dismissed, placing his hands on his hips. "The least you could have done was visit us at home every so often. Fralia and the children miss your company."

"I know." Haema nodded, folding her hands together. "I am here in Whiterun for a long while now, so I promise to make time to visit them."

Looking at the interactions between these two, Ty'ani would venture a guess that they were closer then they let on. This probably meant that the Grey-Mane's and Haema's family must be close friends. Before long though, Haema cleared her throat, returning to the confident woman that the girl is familiar with. "In any case, my daughters tell me that my son is up here."

Eorlund nodded. "That he is, just over there." he jerked his thumb behind him, toward the grinding wheel where a young lad was working on sharpening a three foot steel sword. He had shoulder length black hair, which was sticking to his forehead from sweat, wearing a soot smeared brown tunic, linen breeches and sturdy black boots. His exposed forearms were sporting some muscle, no doubt due to working with Eorlund. Haema nodded upon seeing him.

"Before I go, Eorlund," the woman said next, gesturing to Ty'ani. "This is Ty'ani. She's just been evaluated by Vilkas and is now a Companion. She has something for you." she left it at that, nodding to the Khajiit before stepping away, greeting her son warmly.

As the lad stopped his work to heartily greet his mother, Eorlund locked his gaze on Ty'ani. The girl fidgeted as he crossed his arms. "So, what can I do for you then lass?" he asked.

Clearing her throat, Ty'ani hefted Vilkas' sword, presenting it to the blacksmith. "I have Vilkas' sword. He told me to bring it to you to be sharpened." she told him. He simply nodded, taking the weapon off her and placing it on the stone platform beside the forge.

Turning back to her, the corner of his lips rose on one side as he spoke again. "So, that it was you I heard brawling with him down there?" at the girl's nod, he continued. "I take it you beat him then. I imagine he wasn't very happy about that, he's always been a proudful one."

"He's an ass." she commented off-handedly. Though it didn't take her long to realise that she once again outspoke her own thoughts, her eyes widening as she attempted to salvage her mistake. "I mean- no, I didn't mean to say that... I just-"

Eorlund just laughed heartily. "No harm done, girl. I wouldn't take it to heart, they were all whelps once, they just don't like to talk about it. You have no fear of offending authority here in the Companions. Nobody rules anybody here. Every man his own, every woman hers. So don't always do as your told."

Ty'ani frowned at that. "But I thought Haema was the leader."

"She governs the Companions, yes, but she's not a ruler." he explained. "There hasn't been since the days of Ysgramor and the original five-hundred Companions." It was then that he stopped, as though he had just remembered something. Turning back to the platform where he place Vilkas' sword, he grabbed an oak shield with iron bracing. "Before you leave, would you do me a favour and bring this to Aela? My wife is in mourning and have to get back to her soon."

Smiling, Ty'ani nodded as she took the shield. "I'll be happy to help."

After acknowledging his grateful smile, Ty'ani walked back down the stairs, leaving Haema behind to catch up with Eorlund and her son. Stepping back into Jorrvaskr, the Khajiit glanced around in search of the woman Haema spoke to when they first entered. Seeing her seated at a bench to her immediate right, she walked over, bringing her attention to the Khajiit once she stood beside her. Aela smiled wolfishly at her. "Well what have we here, the newest whelp coming to speak with me, eh? Have to say that was some display you put on out there, couldn't have done it better myself."

Biting her lip, Ty'ani shrugged one shoulder as she had nothing to reply back with. Instead, she just presented the shield. "Eorlund said to bring this to you."

"Ah," the woman voiced, standing from her seat and taking the offered shield. "My thanks. Care to tell me your name then?"

"Ty'ani." the Khajiit replied.

"Well, Ty'ani, I'm Aela as you probably heard." she introduced herself. "Not sure what the all hype about you being Dragonborn is all about, but I like you. Noticed you have a bow too so if you have the aptitude, then you can come and hunt with me at any time, if you have the stomach for it."

The Khajiit nodded. "Sure." wringing her hands together, she tentatively continued. "So, erm, where exactly do I sleep."

Aela smile widened. "I'll get Farkas to show you." she told her, looking away and raising her voice. "Farkas!"

Soon enough, the long haired man she saw earlier marched over. "You called?" he asked.

"Of course I did, ice-brain." Aela responded with a teasing scowl. "Show Ty'ani here where she'll be bunking with the other whelps."

"Yeah, sure." he inclined his head to the girl, a silent request for her to follow him. He took her through the hall toward the opposite end, down some stairs to the living quarters. On their way, he spoke to her. "Good to see a new face around here. I hope we keep you, the last whelps we had only lasted three days." that made Ty'ani uneasy, her chances in this guild looking slimmer by the second. Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Farkas continued. "Don't know much about you, but my wife seems to trust you and that's good enough for me."

Finally, they reached a doorway directly opposite the door to the meadhall. Stepping through, Ty'ani saw numerous cots nestled around the edges, each sporting a simple mattress, fur blankets and a pillow. Farkas turned to her with a smile. "Well, here we are. Just pick a bed and fall in it when your tired. Don't worry much about making much mess, Tilma will keep the place clean, always has."

Ty'ani nodded, a grateful smile on her face. "Thank you."

"No problem." he replied. "And by the way, those moves you pulled off out there with my brother were pretty impressive. Never saw Vilkas so shocked since Haema gave him a thrashing when we were starting out. He's been getting cocky recently, it's good to see him being knocked down a few pegs."

Ty'ani cocked a brow at that. "Vilkas is your brother?"

"Twin actually." he corrected. "I wouldn't worry too much about him though. He's not a bad person, he just doesn't like losing, especially to a whelp."

Brushing her loose hair back over her shoulder, Ty'ani nodded. "Okay, well while my mind's on the subject; when does training start? I'm not the best at using a sword and I really need to start learning."

"A bit late for that now," he answered. "But training tends to start in the mornings, so be up bright and early and out in the courtyard. Oh and before I forget; welcome to the Companions."

Ty'ani smiled. "Thank you Farkas."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Once Ty'ani had settled herself and left her belongings in the living quarters of Jorrvaskr, she went in search of the others. Figuring that Haema would either be with her family or mingling with the Companions, she instead went in search of any of the others. She had found Lydia with little trouble, as she was still in the meadhall conversing with one of the warriors. After collecting her Housecarl, the two exited Jorrvaskr and headed down to the Plains District.

It had become slightly darker since they first arrived in Whiterun, the market becoming busy with multiple bodies for the upcoming celebration. Weaving their way around, they entered the Bannered Mare, finding that it was just as busy. Though it didn't take them long to find Altwen mingling with a group of men by the firepit, a tankard full of something in her hand.

The half-elf then happened to glance over, immediately seeing the two of them and smiled widely at them. "Hey Kitten! Sunshine!" she yelled, waving them over. "Come, join me! Have a drink!"

Stepping through the throng of people, Lydia frowned at the woman. "By Gods, have you been drinking this entire time?" she questioned with a hint of disdain.

"Not the _whole_ time." Altwen argued. "I've only had... three tankards. I'm not even drunk yet."

Ty'ani just shook her head, sighing. "Altwen, I'm not going to stop you from having fun, but I'm going to pass. I don't drink." at that, she turned and walked to the bar. Though she sensed that the huntress was right behind her.

"What? Why not?" she asked once they reached the counter.

"Erm..." Ty'ani voiced, biting her lip while she waited for the barmaid to see her. "Well, let's just say I'm not very good at holding my drink. I tend to get drunk too easily. In fact, I remember this one time in Cyrodiil where I drank a whole bottle of brandy to myself, and I ended up getting caught in some farm field pushing cows over."

"Cow tippin' huh? Interestin'." Altwen commented as the tavern owner finally noticed them. Ty'ani just ordered some water and a bowl of vegetable stew for herself. After paying and turning to find a seat, allowing Lydia to order something herself, Altwen just shrugged as she followed behind. "Well, can't fault you for that one Sweets. I've done _much_ worse when I'm completely piss drunk."

"I don't want to know."

"Nothin' bad." the woman reassured as they occupied a now empty table at the back. "Well, nothin' that involved a fistfight or weapons anyway."

"I still don't want to know." Ty'ani repeated, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. They fell silent after that, even as Lydia joined them, idly listening to the bard and the chatter around them until their meals arrived. As the Khajiit dug in, Altwen's eyes widened as though she had a bright idea.

"Hey, Kitten." after hearing the girl's hum of acknowledgement, she continued. "You remember that offer I gave you back in Ivarstead?"

Knowing instantly what she meant, Ty'ani frowned. "No, I'm not going to look for a man to lay with."

"Oh come on Kitten." Altwen practically whined. "This is a perfect opportunity for you to pop your cherry. It doesn't _have_ to be a man y'know? It doesn't even have to be a random woman, I could help you out..." she trailed off at that with a hint of suggestiveness to her tone.

The girl's frown just deepened, even as her cheeks heated in embarrassment. "I said no, Altwen. I don't want to just lay with anyone. Plus, I'm not ready."

Sighing, Altwen swallowed some of her alcohol before speaking again. "Seriously Kitten, come on. You're eighteen years old for Gods sake, I lost mine when I was fourteen. And that was a _very_ long time ago, I'll have you know."

"Divine's sake woman!" Lydia yelled, scowling at the huntress with fiery eyes. "If she does not wish to, then accept her choice and leave her be. Not everyone has to follow your whorish example."

"Oh don't talk to me like your innocent, Sunshine." Altwen retorted. "Being surrounded by all those guards, all those _repressed_ young men, I bet you were openin' your legs to them at every turn."

"I beg your pardon!" Lydia growled venomously, her expression and tone taking on a dangerous edge. Ears flattening, Ty'ani knew if she didn't step in, then it was likely that her hot-headed bodyguard will soon come to blows with the huntress. Not wanting to cause more of a scene, since the tavern had gone quiet and people were staring at them, the girl immediately leant forward.

"Both of you, stop it!" she yelled, placing a hand on both their chests to keep them apart as they glared at one another. Well, Lydia glared, Altwen was just smirking victoriously. "I really don't want you two to start a fight right now, so could we just change the subject, please!"

"You may, if you wish." Lydia hissed, dropping her spoon in the bowl sharply, almost causing it to roll back out. "I have just about had it with this slattern. Should you need me Thane, then you'll find me at Dragonsreach." and without another word, the brunette Nord stormed off, her steel armour clanking with each movement. Her thundery look caused many patrons to move out of her way as she went, lest they get trampled by her.

Massaging her forehead with an irritated sighed, Ty'ani glanced at the half-elf. "I really wish you wouldn't provoke people Altwen."

"Why not?" Altwen shrugged. "You only live once after all, no use in livin' that life with a frown on your face."

Once again, Ty'ani sighed. "You're never going to change, are you?"

"Nope."

"All right, well can you at least not make anyone else angry? I'm in no mood to deal with that right now." the Khajiit requested, making the half-elf roll her eyes.

"No promises." she simply replied. After a moment of silence, as the tavern began to slowly liven back up, Altwen spoke up again. "Oh hey, you know what I've heard recently?"

Ty'ani shook her head, almost afraid of where the woman was going to take this. "No, what?"

Leaning forward to lean her elbows on the table, the half-elf began. "I heard that the Redguards had imported some new invention for this year's Baranth Do, a little somethin' for us northerners to enjoy. Somethin' that had been recreated from gunpowder and explodes in colourful patterns."

Interested, the Khajiit locked gazes with Altwen. "Really?"

"Yep," she nodded, placing a finger on her lips in thought. "I think they call it... Fire-works."

"That's not a very imaginative name, is it?" Ty'ani pointed out, frowning. Altwen merely shrugged.

"It's their invention, not mine." she dismissed. "My point is though, do you wanna come watch them with me tonight? Have a little bit of fun before startin' trainin' tomorrow?"

"Oh, I don't know." the girl shrugged, feeling uncertain. "I mean, I have to be up early-"

She was interrupted by Altwen's short bark of laughter, looking up to see her shaking her head. "Don't give me that excuse. You're always up stupidly early while on the road, no matter what time you go to sleep. So come on, live a little would ya."

Ty'ani bit her lip, thinking the offer through. If she had to be honest, she was feeling slightly apprehensive about watching explosions in the sky, even if they were mainly harmless. To her, an explosion was an explosion, which meant disaster. But still, looking at Altwen she clearly saw that the woman was really looking forward to this, and it just won't feel right if she told her to go on her own. Altwen really wanted someone she knew with her, so if she didn't go then what sort of friend was she?

Sighing, she finally relented. "All right, you convinced me. But I'm still not drinking."

Giving the girl a wide grin, Altwen patted her on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! Come on, let's go before it starts." at that, she pulled on Ty'ani's arm, lifting her out of her seat and heading swiftly for the door, ignoring the Khajiit's startled yell.

On her part, Ty'ani was a little put out at Altwen's excitement. It was like she was a little child, with the way she was dragging her around like she was a reluctant parent being lead by the hand by their overly exited offspring. Though, due to the height and weight difference between them, the half-elf was pulling her through the door and out in the market with no effort, almost causing the girl to stumble.

Once outside, the two were beset with a huge crowd of people, the market stands around them- which was usually filled with different sorts of products- were now filled with bottles of alcoholic drinks, both local and foreign, and an assortments of foods and sweets. Music echoed through the air from a group of bards, each playing on different instruments that Ty'ani recognised, but others were completely unfamiliar. The melodies were most definitely Redguard in origin, but it was very pleasant to listen to, the musicians incredibly skilled with their respective instruments.

Upon studying the food stands, Ty'ani immediately zoomed in on a collection of palm sized pastries layered with a sweet icing. Eyes sparkling in delight, she headed over as she recognised them as sweet rolls. Ty'ani, like the majority of her race, had a heck of a sweet tooth and as a resault she absolutely adored sweet rolls. She picked up the nearest one, acknowledging the baker's smile behind the counter, and took a large bite out of it. She moaned as the sweetness hit her tongue, savouring the taste as she turned away.

As she swallowed the pastry, she blinked in surprise upon seeing Altwen standing behind her. It took her a moment to register the two tankards she held in front of her, one of which was offered to the Khajiit. Immediately recognising the scent of mead, Ty'ani frowned. "Altwen, I said that I'm _not_ drinking."

The half-elf sighed, rolling her eyes. "Oh come on Kitten, just one little tankard won't hurt you."

Frown deepening, the Khajiit shook her head. "I said no Altwen, and I mean it. I'm not going to compromise myself by turning up hungover for training tomorrow."

As Ty'ani stepped around the woman, her ear twitched toward her when she spoke. "Oh well, can't win them all, can I?" Altwen placed down one tankard on the counter before following behind the girl, sipping at the other. "Probably really wise of ya anyway. It was just a thinly veiled excuse for me to get you drunk so I could ravish you."

Turning back to the woman when the two reached the well, Ty'ani crossed her arms as she leant against it, her tail swishing back and forth on the cobblestone. Cocking an amused but embarrassed brow, she spoke irritably at her. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Oh, you love me really." Altwen retaliated as she too leant on the well. Glancing around as she took another sip of her mead, the huntress crossed one arm under her bosom- which pushed them together making them look very perky- letting loose a half smile. "Quite a party, huh? If there's one thing the Redguards know what to do aside from fightin', it's throwin' interestin' parties."

Looking around herself, Ty'ani couldn't help but agree. All around them were people who were drinking, chatting happily or dancing to the music. Some were doing multiples of those activities at once. Either way, it was clear that everyone was having a good time and with the many lanterns overhead, it was easy to observe all of this. Case and point when the Khajiit spotted one man across from them stumbling on the icy ground, crashing down drunkenly and spilling his drink everywhere. Many people laughed at his misfortune, Altwen included, but Ty'ani merely let slip a tiny smile before digging back into her sweet roll.

Before long though, Altwen spoke up again, her voice filled with nostalgia. "You know somethin' Kitten? It's actually been a while since I was last at a party with someone I knew. I mean, going alone is all well and good, but there's somethin' special about going with..." it was here that she trailed off, as though she was searching for an appropriate word.

Glancing at the woman, Ty'ani let slip another smile. "A friend?" she offered.

Looking to the girl, Altwen pursed her lips for a second, but still she returned the girl's smile. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." it was clear that the woman was quite unsure what to think about what Ty'ani had said to her, attempting to hide her expression behind her tankard as she took a hearty swallow. Glancing up though, the half-elf looked across the thoroughfare of the market, spotting a couple of Redguards unpacking some unrecognisable objects. Quickly figuring out what they were, she pointed over to them. "Oh hey, looks like their about to start the Fire-works."

Looking over to where she was pointing, Ty'ani watched as the Redguards set up a tube shaped thing before alighting a hidden fuse, similar to what one would find on a ship's cannons. They immediately stepped back, shouting out to the crowd that the display was beginning. The moment everyone glanced over, that was when the tube was launched into the air.

Many people jumped in surprise by the loud whistle the Fire-work made as it climbed to the sky, a trail of white sparks and smoke following in it's wake. Once it was high enough, all went silent for only a millisecond before the tube exploded, sending a spray of colour in all directions. However, it was the loud bang that caused the vast majority of the populous below to jump in startled surprise, most of them ducking down instinctively in obvious fright. Ty'ani was among them, jerking toward Altwen with a slight scream and ducking down with her ears flattened.

Altwen on the other hand, while the bang did surprise her too, merely laughed at the Khajiit's fright. She patted her head to get her attention. "Hey Kitten, it's alright you know. It's totally harmless."

"I know." Ty'ani replied, slowly regaining her composure and stepping away. "But I'm just not used to it. That sound usually-"

"Comes from cannons, I know." Altwen interrupted. "But there's nothin' to be frightened of. Look, you can watch this one now you know what to expect."

Looking back over the market, the same Redguards were setting up more of those Fire-works before lighting them. Moments later, the tubes shot up into the sky and exploded in colourful stars. While Ty'ani was still startled by the loud bangs, the display was admittedly very captivating. The explosions lit up the sky with various colours, briefly shining down on those below and lighting the city. Before long, Ty'ani- plus many others- had become used to the audible noise, and was now just enjoying the display.

On her part, Ty'ani smiled contently. Watching the Fire-works allowed her to forget about all the hardships she had been recently put through, letting her just enjoy herself for the first time in what felt like an age. She knew that she'll be returning to her normal life style come morning, but as of right now, she just sat back and allowed time to pass her by. All with a friend right by her side.


	10. Trouble in Skyrim

**4E 201  
23rd of Evening Star**

The dim and quiet interior of the officer's quarters in Fort Sungard was usually a refreshing change from the freezing air of Skyrim to the person seated within. Despite the fort's age, and the fact that it had been recently cleansed of the Forsworn scum, the Altmer that was seated behind the desk tended to enjoy the solitude the room offered, even when others permitted entrance to speak with him.

As of right now however, that was not the case.

The mer dressed in the dark robes of the Aldmeri Dominion scowled as he read through the letter for the third time. The soldier clad in the fine golden armour of the Thalmor stood on the other side, fidgeting nervously as he waited for the Justicar to finish. From under his hood, the man's face was contorted in a scowl, his thin lips pursed together in barely contained anger.

At last, the Justicar lowered the parchment, pinching the bridge of his nose as he let out a frustrated sigh. Slamming that hand down on the oak desk, he glanced up at the soldier with discontent in his pale eyes. "You are certain that this information is correct, Lieutenant?" he questioned haughtily.

Folding his hands behind his back and raising his head up in respect- and to avoid the displeased Justicar's eyes- the soldier nodded. "I am ser Rulindil, the mercenaries have failed to eliminate the target. The patrol legion said themselves that they witnessed the carnage when they followed her after she murdered our informant. She is still at large."

Inhaling slow breaths, Rulindil rose from his seat, making the Lieutenant sweat as he paced over to the nearby window. Locking his hands together behind his back, the Altmer glared out the glass, seeing down to the courtyard of the old fort below. He just barely spotted the legion of soldiers on the early morning drills down below, since it was still dark out. He watched them for only a moment before speaking again. "And they did not intervene, why?"

Clearing his dry throat, the Thalmor soldier tersely responded. "The group she travels with were beset upon by a dragon, sir. They lost sight of them to avoid the eye of the beast, but I am confident that she still remains oblivious."

"I see." Rulindil voiced quietly, turning back to the soldier. "That, however, is hardly an excuse. Send in Captain Laraethus, I wish to speak with him."

"At once sir." with that, the Lieutenant turned on the balls of his foot and walked out the office.

Groaning in irritation, Rulindil returned to his desk, lowering back into the chair. Resting an elbow on the arm, he massaged his forehead. This recent event has truly thrown a cog in the mechanics. With that girl still at large, she continued to pose a considerable threat to the Dominion. After many years of evading their capture, she had proven to be a constant thorn in their side with her very presence. Upon loosing all trace of her for months after that first dragon had appeared, it had displeased First Emissary Elenwen greatly. Therefore, she had bestowed the task of locating the girl to him and now that she had finally been located, it was incredibly infuriating when she continued to unwittingly evade them. It is frustrating to know that no matter whom he hired, they could not accomplish the task of eliminating one oblivious girl.

Deciding to now take matters into his own hands, he reached over the desk to grab a piece of blank parchment. Once the crisp paper was before him, he took the nearby inkwell and opened it before brandishing his quill and dipping it inside, beginning to write.

After he had finished the first sentence, that was when the entrance door opened, permitting a soldier clad in the dark armour of an officer. Captain Laraethus stepped up to the desk, bowing his head respectfully to the Justicar. "You wished to see me, ser Rulindil?"

Rulindil stayed silent for a little while, finishing the sentence before leaning back, dropping the quill into the inkwell. Puffing out a breath through his nose as he linked his hands together upon the table, the Justicar glanced up at the Captain. "Yes." he said at last. "The recent information of the mercenaries failure is truly troubling. Herself has been rather adiment that that girl is to be eliminated in order to keep our hold in her homeland, but with her still living, it poses a great threat to us."

"I understand sir." Captain Laraethus nodded. "But I know that she cannot evade our blades for much longer. If we should raise the reward, then I am certain-"

However, Laraethus was swiftly interrupted by Rulindil raising a hand. "No, no." he dismissed. "I will no longer entrust this assignment to mere sellswords. Such scum has all ready proven their incompetence in this matter."

"What would you have us do then, sir?" the Captain asked carefully, as though he was afraid to incur the Justicar's wrath.

Rulindil glanced back down to the parchment on the desk before him. "I am writing a request to the First Emissary to permit me to take care of the matter personally and should her blessing be received, I will send a select few of your men to track her down. I trust that two or three of your soldiers will be sufficient enough to take care of one little girl?"

"Of course sir." Laraethus responded, puffing his chest out in pride. "My men are highly trained and will resolve the matter promptly."

Rulindil narrowed his eyes at the Captain. "I hope so." he said. "Go now and choose your men while I await the word from Herself. Be sure to choose wisely, Captain."

"Yes sir." and with that, the dismissed soldier turned on his heel and marched out of the office.

Upon the Captain leaving, Rulindil continued writing his letter. Once he was satisfied, he cleaned off the quill with a spare rag and folded it in its rice paper before placing it down. He dusted a small pinch of sand over top the parchment to help the ink dry, blowing off the excess. Rolling up the parchment, he tied it with twine before slipping it into a delivery roll embroiled with the Emissary's seal. Rising from his seat, he retreated to another part of the office.

It was there that he walked over to a radiant raven that was perched inside it's cage, it's ebony feathers glossy and clean. Opening it, Rulindil coaxed the bird over with some seeds, allowing it to perch on his arm. As it feasted on the seeds, Rulindil attached the message to it's leg and walked over to the nearby window. Opening the glass, he frowned when the cold air rushed through, stinging his warmed face and blowing out a couple nearby candles. Outstretching his arm while mentally cursing the chill, he spoke to the raven in his native tongue.

In moments, the bird spread it's wings and took flight, immediately turning northbound.

Satisfied, Rulindil closed the window, sealing out the wintry winds. Relighting the candles with simple flame spells on his way back to the office, he decided to finish the paper work he was working on before receiving the news. It would take at least a good few days before word from the First Emissary would arrive, may as well be sure that everything is in order in the meantime.

As the raven left the fort atop the mountain behind and flew over the crevices of the Reach, that was when it suddenly seized up, a green glow encircling it. It dropped out of the sky like a rock, but the green glow brightened, making the bird float gently to the snow covered ground. However, it still couldn't move a single muscle, even when a shadow loomed over it, blocking the waning light of the moons.

A dark figure hidden beneath a black fur cloak and hood knelt beside the paralysed animal. After a brief scan of the area to insure that he was alone, the figure reached down to the raven and plucked off the message tube. Leaving the raven where it lay, he spoke lowly to it in a deep baritone voice. "My apologies, creature of the night." at that, he opened the tube and took out the parchment within. Putting the tube beside the bird, he unrolled the paper and read the contents.

It took him only a few moments but upon completing it, he hummed in both interest and concern. If this information was to be believed, than that means the Thalmor were about to make their move, just as he feared they would. He should have known that old man had a higher purpose. Why else would he have a contract on him?

Knowing that he couldn't burn the message, as the Thalmor would get suspicious, he decided then and there to allow the raven to deliver it. That way, he'd be able to make his move without the Dominion knowing of his existence.

Rolling the parchment up and sliding it back into the tube, he hooked it back on the raven's leg. Lightly gripping the animal, he cancelled the Paralyse spell he had cast upon it, allowing the bird to move freely again. Boring his eyes into the creatures dark ones, he spoke to it once again. "Do what you have been assigned to do by your masters."

At that, he released the bird, watching it take flight in an instant, carrying on with it's previous course. Looking away from it, since now it was no longer his concern, the figure hefted the backpack he had dropped nearby, throwing it back over his shoulders. It would be dawn soon and he had to get moving now if he was to avoid the eyes of the Thalmor guards, as well as beating them to the punch. He was risking enough as it was by being this close to one of their outposts, since his dark form contrasted against the snow.

Now at the bottom of the cliff, he closed his eyes, concentrating as he scented the air. Many different scents hit him at once, but all ones that mattered little to him was pushed to the back of his mind, focusing on one hidden in the plethora of smells. Finally locating what he was searching for, he smiled, turning to the right and whistling lowly. In response, a dark horse trotted over to him, standing obediently at his side before he mounted it. Flicking the reigns, he coaxed the horse to begin a light canter eastward toward Whiterun.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The ringing of metal against metal filled the mid-day air in Jorrvaskr's training yard, where Ty'ani and Aela was practising their swordplay. Well, Ty'ani was, Aela was teaching her. The Khajiit and Nord both had practise short swords in their right hands, the blades dulled and rounded off but would still hurt if struck by it. Of which Ty'ani had found out quite regularly during her time training. Even now, she was sporting a few bruises.

Off to the side, underneath the buildings awning, stood Lydia, Altwen and Haema, along with a couple other Companions who were awaiting their turn to practise.

The two in the yard circled each other, each searching the other for an opening in their defence. Ty'ani was not at the same level as Aela though, since she had yet to get through the woman's defence at all, but every mistake she made helped her to learn from them. The Khajiit knew better then to rush the woman, as that had caused her to be put down on her rear in the past. So she just waited, seeing what the Nord woman would do.

Then without warning, Aela shot forward with an overhead cleave, of which Ty'ani batted away with her sword, retaliating with a swing at the woman's legs, which was rewarded much the same. The Khajiit took a step back, forcing Aela to step forward to take a swing at her empty arm, which the girl deflected, causing the sword to bounce away with a clang. She lunged with her short sword but Aela leant back, taking several steps away to gain distance between them.

"Nice one." she commended. "But you have to mind your footwork, you almost made yourself overbalance."

The Khajiit nodded, taking the criticism in stride before lunging forward again. Aela effortlessly parried the blow, countering by circling the blade to strike at Ty'ani's shoulder. The Khajiit was quick though, leaning away from the swing and darting back, taking advantage of her athleticism to dart back in for another attack. However, Aela twisted her body out of the way before kicking the girl's leading foot from under her.

Ty'ani yelped in shock as she tumbled down, attempting to twist her body so she would land on her back. Instead though, she landed directly on her shoulder, the fur lining of her cloak doing nothing to absorb the impact and her sword clattered down beside her on the icy ground. Knowing that she will have a bruise there later, Ty'ani groaned as she rolled onto her back, only for the tip of Aela's sword to press between her petite breasts, as though she was stabbing her through the heart.

Glancing up at Aela, she saw her smile. "Dead." she simply said, removing the sword before offering the Khajiit her hand. Grumbling with a light frown, Ty'ani accepted the offered hand, allowing the stronger woman to pull her up. Seeing her expression, Aela's smile widened. "Don't beat yourself up about it. You're performing admirably, even though you've only been here a little while. You're a fast learner, you just need to remember to watch your footing, like I said."

Ty'ani nodded at that. "Right, I'll try to remember for next time."

As the two walked over to the weapon stand, Aela continued speaking as they placed the training weapons down. "Honestly, if you ask me, I think the best way for you to learn is to get out there into some real fights. That's not up to me though, so you just go at your own pace and you'll soon get it."

"You're right, that is not up to you." Haema yelled from across the yard. Looking over, the two spotted the large woman walking toward them. She placed a hand on her hip as she shared a look with the two, Ty'ani especially. "Until I'm certain you can handle yourself in a fight, we are not going anywhere."

"I know." Ty'ani acknowledged with a nod. "I knew this was going to take some time, but to be honest it is slightly harder than I thought it was going to be. I just want to get to Ustengrav soon."

"I understand that." Haema replied, placing a hand on the Khajiit's shoulder. "You just have to be patient. Keep your focus on what is in front of you, not what's on the horizon."

"Wise words to live by." Aela commented. Before long though, the coppered haired woman began to leave. "I'd best be on my way. Have to check if any more contracts have come up yet."

"Let me know if any have." Haema told her. With a nod, Aela turned and headed straight for the meadhall. Haema and Ty'ani meanwhile walked over to Altwen and Lydia, both of whom were looking quite bored. Seeing this, Ty'ani felt a little concerned. For the past five days, she had been kept busy with her training, therefore she had no reason to be bored. Haema was much the same, though she spent most of her time with her family as well as with the Companions.

As for the rest... Alasse had been fairly scarce as of late, though Ty'ani could only assume that she had been permitted entrance to Dragonsreach, as she had once caught sight of the Altmer heading that way. That probably meant she was exchanging notes with Farengar, so she was keeping herself busy at least. Altwen on the other hand had been flittering around the city, the girl assuming it was in a bid find herself something to do. When it wasn't that, the half-elf wasted a lot of time in the tavern, drinking herself silly on most days. Lydia meanwhile, as her Housecarl, could only follow her around, as it was her duty to protect her. But since Ty'ani is spending most of her time in Jorrvaskr, that meant that the brunette could only stand on the side lines and watch her, which wasn't very engaging.

Biting her lip in thought, it didn't take Ty'ani long to think up something. Looking toward Haema, she immediately spoke up. "Haema, per chance, is there any jobs that need doing right now?"

Cocking a brow, Haema shook her head in a negative. "Nothing that has not already been taken I'm afraid. Why do you ask?"

"Well," Ty'ani began, looking over to Lydia and Altwen. "The truth is, I think it's a little unfair that Altwen and Lydia are sitting by and doing nothing. I just thought that maybe there was something the three of us could do to strive off the boredom."

Hearing this, Altwen glanced at the girl, shaking her hooded head. "Oh it's okay Kitten. You don't need to interrupt your trainin' for our sake."

"No, I don't need to." Ty'ani said. "But I want to. I do care about all of you after all."

Smiling at the girl, Haema mentally praised her kind spirit before speaking again. "Well if you have your mind set upon it, then may I suggest heading to the Bannered Mare to see if there are any bounties. There's always some bandit camps nearby that the Jarl wants folks to clear out."

"Great!" the Khajiit nodded, her tone bright as she looked to her friend and Housecarl. "Then maybe we could do that, just the three of us?"

Lydia frowned in concern of this. "I'm not sure about this my Thane. Bandits are not to be reckoned with on most days, and they will not hold back because you are not yet fully trained."

Glancing at the brunette, Ty'ani nodded. "I know that, but I also know my limitations. I won't get close to them, I promise."

Looking to the Housecarl herself, Altwen smiled. "Come on Sunshine, it'll be fun. Besides, we'll both be there to take care of her and bandits won't stand a chance against the two of us, so what's the worse that can happen?"

"I really hate it when people say those words." Lydia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Finally though, she relented. "All right, lead the way then my Thane."

Ty'ani smiled, heading back into Jorrvaskr to collect what equipment she would need. "Don't worry Lydia," she reassured on the way. "We'll be back before you know it."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Moments later, Ty'ani, Lydia and Altwen exited Whiterun, a bounty letter in hand and began to make their way through the snow and down the east road. It had turned out that some bandits had been causing all sorts of trouble for travellers and merchants that frequent the White River road, of which lead toward Eastmarch. The letter said that they were based at White River Watch, a cave system that existed at the foot of the Throat of the World. Their job was to take out the leader of the clan, Hajvarr Iron-Hand, and bring back proof of his death to the Jarl.

Crossing the bridge, the three women travelled a ways down the road before finding the incline leading to the cave entrance. It was here that they stopped.

Turning to the other two, Altwen spoke up. "Look, I know how bandits tend to work. It's likely that they'd have a couple of men guardin' the outside, so if we stay quiet, then we'll be able to take 'em by surprise." looking at Lydia though, she cocked an eyebrow while biting her lip. "Though on second thought, there's no way we'd be able to sneak up on them with your armour clangin' about."

"Well, what do you want me to do about that?" Lydia hissed at the huntress, a deep frown on her face. "I cannot exactly strip down and run into battle in my small clothes after all."

Altwen smirked at the mental image that ran through her mind. "I wouldn't complain about that." seeing the Nord's displeased look, Altwen swiftly moved on as if she never said anything. "Hows about this: I'll scout ahead and see how many there are. If there's a bunch, then I'll come back and we'll charge 'em."

"Sounds good to me." Ty'ani agreed with a nod. At her acknowledgement, Altwen climbed the rocky ridges around the path and disappeared over the ledge. While she was gone, Ty'ani leant back against a nearby rock, being sure to keep her fur cloak folded under her rear. Hugging the rest of the cloak around herself, she glanced up at Lydia, who was standing before her with her fists on her hips as she looked out for Altwen's return, her own cloak flowing freely down her back. Ty'ani sighed, shivering as a gust of wind blew past.

"I don't know how you manage this cold." she moaned.

Lydia glanced over at the small Khajiit, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face. "Because I've lived here in Skyrim since birth. Around these parts, the cold is not a bother."

Ty'ani huffed at that. "Not a bother she says. I'm freezing my tail off in this chill, and I swear my whiskers have completely frozen as well."

Frowning, Lydia crossed her arms. "You know, I would have thought that out of all of the races, the Khajiit would be fine in cold, due to your fur and all."

"That's a common mistake." Ty'ani answered, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm. "But my people hail from the warm sands and forests of Elsweyr. The sun shines hot and the flowers are always in bloom, so the Khajiit's fur have acclimatised to that, therefore it's too thin to ward off any cold."

"Huh." Lydia said.

Before Ty'ani could elaborate further, that was when Altwen returned. The half-elf looked at the two with a smile. "Well, wouldn't you know it," she told them with a shrug. "But there was only two of them out here. I've already taken care of 'em."

Lydia frowned at that as the two stepped over to the woman. "Strange." she commented. "Bandits are usually more paranoid then that."

"Hey I'm not questionin' it." Altwen replied. "It'll make it easier on us if they're disorganised. Come on."

At that, the three trudged up the rest of the pathway, soon finding themselves at the foot of a small campsite. A burning firepit sat on the left, surrounded by barrels and a couple of tables that had a few of boxes on them. Most likely full of provisions. The entrance of the cave was a little further up the hill, bodies of two bandits laying at the foot, each with a single arrow in their throats.

Cautiously, the three edged toward the entrance of the cave, though each step Lydia took resulted with light clunking from her steel armour. In the deafening silence, the noise seemed to be louder than it should be as they each disappeared through the dark gaping hole. Gritting her teeth, Altwen began to become increasingly annoyed with each step the Nord took, hoping that the Housecarl's insistence of wearing heavy armour would not compromise them. She just wished that the woman would at least wear something other than heavy plate, if only for these types of stealth operations.

Once deeper into the cave, Ty'ani's eyesight quickly adjusted to the low light, immediately seeing a table with a lit lantern atop and a chair further in by a small opening. Seated in the chair was a man, his body old and withered and head bald. He turned his head toward them as though he heard a noise, causing all three of them to freeze. In the next second though, Ty'ani instantly noticed his white hooded eyes. He was blind.

"Wha- Who's there?" he yelled out questioningly. "Rodolf? Is that you?"

Ty'ani shot Altwen a worrying look, mouthing the word 'blind' to which she received a nod in reply. Glancing around to inform Lydia as well, that was when she heard rustling sounds coming from the half-elf. Looking back, she spotted that the woman had removed a small blow-pipe. From where, she couldn't say. Bringing it to her lips, Altwen let loose a puff of air, shooting a tiny dart toward the old man, which hit him in the neck. With a grunt, the old man went rigid before slumping forward, his forehead banging on the table's surface.

Eyes wide in shock, Ty'ani snapped her gaze to the huntress with a look of discontent. "Altwen!" she hissed quietly.

In response, Altwen smirked. "Sleepin'." she merely whispered back, with a wink.

Taking the lead, Altwen tip-toed past the now sleeping man, Ty'ani and Lydia behind her, heading deeper into the cavern. Ascending up a set of wooden stairs and through another narrow corridor, they heard low voices echoing through the cave.

"So, you in?" asked one voice, obviously male.

"Yeah." slurred a female voice. "We can't have that blind old fool being our watcher, even if he is Hajvarr's uncle."

"We strike tonight at dusk, be ready."

Well, no wonder these bandits seemed to be disorginised, as there appeared to be a coup in the works. Either way, it would make it easier on the three women.

Narrowing her eyes, Altwen spotted one of the bandits leaning against the wall in front of a fire, just barely seen around the rock face. Taking her blow pipe again, she took out a dart from a pouch in her bandoleer, this one completely black. Loading it in, she brought the pipe up to her lips and took careful aim, puffing a sharp breath which sent the projectile flying. In the next second, the bandit jerked as he slapped a hand on his neck, grasping the dart before bringing it around into his vision. The three saw his eyes widened before he became limp, his legs folding from under him and collapsed face first into the firepit.

The other bandits yelled out in alarm, running toward their slowly burning comrade. While they did so, Ty'ani had already nocked an arrow, pulling back the bow-string once they came into view. She released it, the string snapping against the leather of her bracer, letting the arrow loose. It struck true, burying into the back of the female's head. The force of the impact threw the bandit forward, quite obviously dead as her body crumpled instantly.

The final bandit, quickly surmising where the attack came from, jumped down from the ledge, directly in front of Lydia, who's sword had already been drawn. He had clearly seen the Housecarl, but he barely had any time to react before she struck a devastating lateral blow, gutting across his midsection and spilling his entrails. He crumpled down with a scream of pain, which Lydia silenced by stabbing her sword through his heart. He was dead within moments.

The three then relaxed as they entered the chamber proper. Glancing back at the body they left behind, Altwen let loose a small laugh. "Hey!" she quipped with obvious amusement. "Looks like this guy had no guts after all!"

On her part, Ty'ani was feeling very nauseated with the foul stench of the bandit's innards spilling out, fighting against the urge to gag. As the Khajiit swiftly moved up the ramp, Altwen spoke up again as the two followed behind. "Three down, more to go."

"And Divines only knows _how_ many more there are, so stay on your guard." Lydia advised them, darting forward sharply to grip Ty'ani's shoulder and gently push the girl behind her. A silent reminder for the Khajiit to keep away from the impending danger ahead. Ty'ani sighed as she rubbed her shoulder, since the brunette had pulled her back a bit too hard for her liking, but didn't dare call the Housecarl out on it.

Ascending up the rocky pathways and through halls filled with tables and other furniture, Altwen soon held up an arm while backing into the wall, prompting the other two to do the same. Ty'ani's ears twitched, quickly figuring out why the half-elf had stopped them.

"You think it'll work?" came the voice of a female bandit.

"Course not." growled the voice of an Orc, causing a sense of worry to form in the Khajiit's chest. "Dogs I can train, but a half starved wolf? Not a chance."

They heard a sigh from the woman. "Right, we'll be lucky if it doesn't rip our throats out."

Cocking an interested brow, Altwen peaked round the corner, instantly seeing the two bandits staring at an iron cage door built into the rock. It was a little hard to see, but the distinct growling coming from the alcove indicated that there was indeed a wolf behind that cage. And it seemed angry.

Slipping back, Altwen whipped her head around when she heard Ty'ani gasp when a chain suddenly brushed against her forehead. The white Khajiit immediately grabbed the chain in an attempt to muffle the rattling noise it made in response to the disturbance. Unfortunately though, the sound echoed through the cavern, catching the attention of the bandits. "What was that?" the female questioned.

"Wait here," replied the Orc, followed by an obviously heavy weapon being unsheathed. "I'll go check it out."

The three tensed as the Orc's footsteps padded closer toward them, each readying their weapons. On the other hand, Altwen made a snap decision and grabbed the chain- even though there was no indication of what it would do but she figured at this point, there really wasn't much need to be subtle. She yanked it down, the metal clanging against each other as the mechanism activated. In response, the sound of old hinges scraping together sounded out, followed by a deep growl and swift padding feet. Following that, an angry bark as the previously caged wolf pounced on the female bandit, her sharp cry of surprise and pain clearly distracting the Orc.

As he turned back and sprinted to help his comrade, the three women rounded the corner. Just as he slashed his great sword down on the wolf, that was when Altwen released her arrow. The projectile penetrated deep into the base of his neck, blood spraying out from the front as the arrow had pierced all the way through.

With both the bandits dead on the ground, they were all about to relax until an arrow whizzed past their heads, forcing them to duck down. Reacting instantly, Ty'ani pulled back her arrow and located the enemy in a split second, releasing the projectile. The bandit archer seized up as Ty'ani's arrow struck him directly under his jaw, his body falling forward and off the ledge, thumping down on the ground floor with a sickening sound.

Altwen scanned the upper ledge with her arrow pointed up there, while Ty'ani pulled out another arrow and nocked it and Lydia kept her shield raised. After a few seconds of silence, they surmised that there was no one else around. Lowering their weapons, they let out a sigh each as they moved deeper into the tall and narrow cavern.

As Altwen went to retrieve her arrow from the dead Orc, Ty'ani studied the wolf that was laying prone atop the female bandit. At first glance, it turned out to be a very majestic looking beast, it's thick fur dark grey in colour with a white under belly and brown patterning here and there. It was also quite large, easily covering the dead human beneath it, but from under it's thick coat it seemed very thin. Walking over and kneeling next to it, Ty'ani lightly ran her hand over the wolf's chest, being sure to avoid the large wound on it's flank as well as the clotted blood. She could feel every rib under the pelt, meaning that the poor thing had been starved.

Her ear twitched as Altwen and Lydia stepped toward her, the half-elf kneeling at her side as she too studied the wolf. Looking at her, Ty'ani saw that the huntress had a look of sorrow in her expression. "Poor thing." she muttered. "Such a majestic beast and this right here is the reward it gets for existin'."

Lydia cocked a brow at that. "That's very sentimental, especially coming from a huntress."

"I may hunt these creatures at times," Altwen retaliated, locking a hard glare at the Nord. "But that don't mean I can't appreciate them, all right?"

Ignoring the two of them, Ty'ani studied the wolf some more. The size was quite unusual for these animals, never mind that the coat was far too thick for it to even nest around Whiterun's plains. It seemed like the wolf would be more at home in the northern regions of Skyrim, like the Pale or Winterhold. Clearly someone had captured it and was carting it down south for some reason until the bandits came across it. But if that's the case, then why?

Looking some more, Ty'ani soon figured it out, as the dead wolf's underbelly appeared to be bloated and saggy, indicating that it had recently been pregnant. It was a female and a mother. But where were the pups?

As she was about to point that out however, that was when Altwen spoke up again. "You know, this here ain't just any old wolf. Her coat is far too thick for anythin' round these parts, and she's too big to be an ice wolf."

Frowning herself, Lydia glanced at the half-elf in confusion of that. "Then what is it?" she inquired.

On her part, Altwen had a look of awe steadily emerging on her face, her voice lowering to a whisper. "Gods. I've not seen one of these in such a long time." she gave the Nord and Khajiit a look each, seeing the confusion in their expressions she soon replied. "She's a dire wolf."

Ty'ani's frown deepened at that. "A dire wolf? What's a dire wolf?"

Inhaling a breath as she glanced back at the dead dire wolf, Altwen explained. "Dire wolves are just like normal wolves Kitten, 'cept their bigger, stronger and faster. Hella more scary too. In fact, they were so aggressive that many people used to hunt them on principle, 'cus they never hesitated to attack caravans and villages. The last time I saw one was near Bruma more than two-hundred years ago, where they were all hunted down to extinction." shaking her head as she rose back to her feet, the huntress crossed her arms. "Clearly some survived to this day."

Standing herself, Ty'ani nodded in understanding. "Maybe that's why she'd been taken-" she mused.

"Aye." Altwen agreed. "'Cus she's exotic and clearly havin' just given birth. Someone musta paid a lot of Septims for this momma and her pups."

"Then maybe the pups may still be alive." Lydia pointed out.

Altwen shook her head at that. "I doubt it. This old girl was clearly on her last legs and couldn't produce enough milk for the pups, so it's likely they're all dead by now."

"Maybe we should check," Ty'ani offered, looking toward the alcove in the rock face before them. "Just in case?"

Both the Nord and the half-elf agreed, each of them stepping toward the cage carefully, in case there were some puppies still alive and they won't startle them. With Altwen at the head, the huntress took off the torch she had strapped to her backpack, lighting it with a few flicks of a flint and steel. With the torch now burning with a healthy flame, she raised it up to illuminate the alcove.

What was seen inside broke Ty'ani's heart.

Laying in a dug out pit in the back corner of the alcove were the bodies of three tiny wolf pups, each one about half Ty'ani's arm length. However, there was no indication that any of them were alive. No clumsy movements or twitches, no cute little whimpers or cries. They were all deathly still.

Seeing the tiny pups dead bodies caused tears to well up in the corners of Ty'ani's eyes. To her, it didn't matter that they were dire wolves that wouldn't think twice about ripping her throat out, they were still babies that never got a chance at life.

Altwen lowered the torch slightly, shaking her head. "See," she told them. "Told you they'd be dead."

"Those poor things." Ty'ani breathed, clearly upset.

Altwen shrugged her shoulders at that, about to say something more when she suddenly paused, jerking her head to the side. Perplexed, Lydia stared at the woman with a frown. "What? What is it?" she asked, suddenly on alert.

"Shh." Altwen hissed sharply, raising a finger to her lips in a symbol of silence.

Ty'ani was also just as bemused at Altwen's behaviour as her Housecarl was, though when all went silent it didn't take her long to find out why. Over the sound of the crackling fire of the torch, the Khajiit's sensitive ears picked up the faint sound of a high pitched whimpering. Straightening her back, Ty'ani watched as Altwen stepped to the side of the makeshift nest, placing her torch down on the ground in front of it before beginning to rummage around in a hole located at the back.

She squinted one eye closed, her nose wrinkling in concentration as she searched. Before long, the half-elf soon pulled her hand out. Grasped in a fist by the scruff of it's neck was a wolf puppy, and it was still alive. Bemused, Altwen leant back as she held the pup at arm's length, watching as it's tiny paw patted on her forearm as it whimpered, it's eyes blinking against the torch light.

The puppy was very cute to say the least, it's grey fur was unkempt but very fluffy. But as Altwen studied it some more, she had noticed that the pup's pelt was actually white, it was just very dirty. Baby blue eyes sparkled as it glanced around while it's tiny black nose twitched, quite clearly interested in what was around it. It then opened it's mouth wide in a yawn only for it to slump in Altwen's grasp, it's eyes blinking closed in exhaustion.

Watching the pup with sympathy, the half-elf huntress shook her head before turning her gaze to the others. "Damn." she sighed. "This little one'll not survive for very long without it's mother. It'd be kinder if I put it outta it's misery now. Poor little orphan."

As Altwen lowered the small puppy to the ground, that was when Ty'ani jerked up to her feet, raising her voice to the woman. "No, stop! You can't do that!"

Sighing dejectedly, Altwen stared the girl in the eye as she replied. "There's not much choice Kitten. Without it's mother, this little one will die slowly and painfully. It's better if I give it a quick death."

"No!" Ty'ani cried, darting over to Altwen's side and grabbing her forearm, forcing her hand off the tiny wolf pup. "It's only a baby! It deserves a chance to live a life!"

"What would you have me do?!" Altwen yelled back, though her tone held a hint of disdain at what she had to do. "It's mother's milk is the only thing that will keep it alive! You cannot give it cows milk, you cannot give it meat! There's no other choice, Ty'ani, I have to do this. If you don't want to watch this, then step outta here and I'll call you when it's done."

In response, Ty'ani's sapphire eyes narrowed dangerously, her ears flattened against her skull and her tail swishing sharply. Unconsciously, her claws dug into the leather of Altwen's gauntlet, the armour protesting as deep marks were gauged into the surface, but the half-elf only felt the increase of pressure. Ty'ani's words dripped with contempt as she responded. "There's _always_ another way." she hissed. "I would have thought you of all people would know about the Milk of Life."

As Altwen's forest eyes widened, Ty'ani's memories had race back to her childhood against her will. Of when she was a very young orphan in Elsweyr, the carers making and feeding her the special milk until her third year. Holding her breath as she pushed the memory away, as it was quite painful to think about, she glared at the half-elf before her and watched the woman's expression change.

During that exchange, Lydia had been watching and listening to the two of them with increasing bewilderment. Cocking a brow, she spoke up with a questioning tone. "What is the Milk of Life?" she asked.

Blinking, Altwen cleared her throat as she slowly glanced to the Nord. "It's erm..." she stuttered. "It's somethin' that I had completely forgotten about. Somethin' I didn't realise the Khajiit still practise."

"And that would be...?" Lydia hinted.

"It's a specialised milk that's used as substitute for breast milk." the huntress explained before glancing at Ty'ani. "I didn't think that you knew about that."

"Of course I do. Because I grew up without parents." Ty'ani replied, a undertone of pain in her voice. She looked down to the tiny dire wolf pup on the ground then, her expression softening. "I'll raise the pup myself, since we both have something in common."

Blinking in surprise, both Lydia and Altwen stared at the girl for a while. It was clear the both of them had no idea what to say to her, but in the end, Altwen let slip a smile, shaking her head. "Fair enough." she whispered, picking the pup up and gently depositing it into the girl's arms. "But understand, if anythin' goes wrong..."

"It won't." Ty'ani interrupted, promise in her tone as she cradled the small wolf to her chest, feeling it wriggle weakly in her grasp.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

After that, it didn't take the three of them long to find Hajvarr and pull out of the cave. Since Ty'ani was caring for the pup, Lydia and Altwen went ahead to find the bandit leader. Upon finding him at the cave's watch point, he turned out to be quite the brute of a man, clad in heavy iron armour. It was quite the fight up on the enclosed summit, as well as the fact that he was more well trained than the two had expected, but between them he soon fell.

It had turned out that the proof they needed for the Jarl happened to be on Hajvarr's person, in the form of a pair of well crafted but aged steel gauntlets. They were of a unique design, with the crest of the Iron-Hand's branded upon the metal. Altwen pointed out, after jolting her memory, that the Iron-Hands were an old clan of metal smiths that dated back for centuries. Therefore, this family heirloom would be more than enough to convince the Jarl that they had done the deed.

Proof in hand, the women exited out through the cave and back onto the White River road toward Whiterun's entrance.

Once by the outer wall, Ty'ani had spotted that Ri'saad's caravan was still there, which she found both relieving and worrying. The caravans tended to stay camped outside of a city for at least a maximum of three days. Why his caravan was still here was hard to tell, but it was a blessing all at once. They would have exactly the ingredients that she would need for the pup wrapped in a spare cloak in her arms.

Jogging ahead of Altwen and Lydia, Ty'ani swiftly integrated with the camp, seeing Ri'saad spot her instantly. The older Khajiit male stood from the tent, walking over to her. " _Ty'ani_?" he inquired in their native tongue. " _You seem to be in quite the rush, what troubles you_?" Ty'ani said nothing in response as she stopped before him, only pulling back the material that protected the dire wolf pup, revealing it to him. His amber eyes widened. " _Ah, I see_." he nodded, gesturing her to the tent. " _This way. Atahbah, hurry and make Milk of Life, we have an orphaned wolf!_ "

The brown furred woman glanced over briefly with a look of confusion, but didn't argue with the elder as she rushed to gather the ingredients from the carriage. The other Khajiit male, Ma'randru-jo, didn't hesitate in helping her, quickly gathering up their cooking supplies and hung the pot over the fire.

Lydia and Altwen caught up with Ty'ani as she crawled into the tent, the pup hugged protectively against her breast. Inside, it didn't take Ty'ani long to spot another body within, her form thoroughly wrapped in a bedroll with extra blankets. It was the caravan guard, Khayla. Looking her over briefly, the white Khajiit girl noticed that the woman's skin under her fur was quite pale, and her eyes had bags under them.

Concerned, Ty'ani glanced over at Ri'saad as he arranged some blankets on the ground. " _Is Khayla unwell_?"

Glancing back at her, the elder Khajiit nodded. " _Yes, I'm afraid so._ " he replied as he finished arranging the blankets. " _This winter has gotten the best of her and she has caught a fever. That is why we still remain. But there isn't a lot that we can do for her, apart from feeding her warm soups. There, put the pup in here._ " he gestured to the little nest before him, allowing the younger Khajiit to shuffle over and place the pup down, being sure to keep the cloak wrapped around it.

Studying the tiny wolf with soft eyes, Ri'saad spoke as he lightly stroked it's head with one finger. " _Where ever did you find this pup_?"

" _In a cave filled with bandits_." she answered. " _It's mother was dead, and I just couldn't leave it there. I decided to take it with me and look after it myself._ "

The elder Khajiit merchant turned his gaze to her with approval in his eyes, a smile forming. " _Ah, that heart of yours. One would never guess your history with your kindness._ "

Ty'ani's eyes went downcast at that, a sad smile on her face. Before long, she turned away to glance at her two companions waiting outside the tent entrance. Reverting back to the Common tongue, she spoke up to them. "Why don't you two go ahead and wait inside the city? You can get the bounty from the Jarl if you want to."

"You gonna be stayin' here Kitten?" Altwen asked, to which the white Khajiit nodded.

"Yes, I just want to make sure the puppy is okay."

Lydia pursed her lips at that. "Well, as long as you're sure."

Again, Ty'ani nodded. "Yes. Nothing will happen so long as I'm here, so you can go into the city if you want to Lydia."

Sighing, the brunette Nord relented as she straightened. "As you wish, my Thane." at that, she turned on her heel and strode off toward the city entrance. Altwen gave her a quick smile before pivoting around and darting after the Housecarl.

As they left, Ri'saad gave Ty'ani a look. " _Thane?_ " he questioned.

Suddenly feeling awkward, Ty'ani bit her lip but she inclined her head in a positive. " _Apparently_ ," she began. " _The Jarl of Whiterun thought it fitting if he made me Thane of the city. I honestly don't know what possessed him to do that, but there it is._ "

" _There has to be some reason._ " the old Khajiit probed.

Sighing, Ty'ani stared Ri'saad in the eye as she explained. " _Listen, what I'm about to tell you should stay between all of you. The last thing I want is for this to get out sooner than I'd like._ " at his nod, Ty'ani let out a breath as she steeled herself. " _All right, the Jarl made me Thane because I killed a dragon a while back and was revealed to be Dragonborn._ "

Ri'saad's amber eyes widened at that. " _Dragonborn_?" he echoed, clearly surprised. " _I'd heard the Nords speaking of the Dragonborn's return, but I never believed it. Never mind that it would be one of our kind._ "

" _Believe me,_ " Ty'ani shook her head as her gaze turned down. " _I'm just as surprised as you are._ "

On his part, Ri'saad smiled at her, pride in his expression. " _You know that this means that you are the beacon of hope for our kind now. I knew you were always special Ty'ani, but this..._ "

Ty'ani frowned at that, snapping her sapphire orbs back on the older Khajiit man. " _Huh? What do you mean 'you knew I was always special'_?"

To her surprise and confusion, Ri'saad paused at that, his eyes widening in, what was quite clearly, shock and uncertainty. She could see that he was fighting with himself on what he could reply with. However, it was at that point that Atahbah ducked into the tent, placing down a pot filled with a warm white liquid. Taking advantage of her arrival, Ri'saad spoke up. " _Ah, good. Now let us feed this poor infant._ "

Ty'ani watched as he went rummaging around the tent's supplies, soon finding a pair of leather gloves. Dropping one down, he opened the other and grabbed the ladle sitting in the milk, pouring it into the glove. Ty'ani watched in fascination as the glove ballooned with each ladleful. Soon enough, Ri'saad placed the ladle back into the pot and twisted the opening of the glove to seal it. Atahbah then shuffled forward, a needle in hand, and pierced the tip of one of the fingers. The male Khajiit then gathered up the pup and placed it into Ty'ani's arms.

" _Here,_ " he told her, laying the exhausted pup on it's back. " _As you are taking care of it, you should feed it. It shall form a bond with you should you continuously handle it._ " at that, he handed her the milk filled glove too once the puppy was comfortable.

Inhaling a shuddering breath, as though she feared that she will do something wrong, Ty'ani manoeuvred the pierced finger to the wolf's mouth, rubbing it around as she attempted to coax it to latch on. For a few tense moments, the pup made no move to grab hold of the glove, even as milk smeared all along it's jaw. Growing increasingly worried, Ty'ani persisted, hoping with all her soul that the puppy hadn't died while they weren't looking.

Thankfully, after a few tense seconds, the puppy shifted with a cute whimper, opening it's mouth and latching onto the glove finger and began to suckle. Ty'ani let out a sigh of relief at that, feeling a great weight lift off her chest.

As she hugged the feeding wolf a little closer, Ri'saad smiled with a satisfied nod. " _Well done. I'm sure you will do well training this young one._ " glancing behind Ty'ani to the woman still knelt at the tent entrance, he spoke again. " _Atahbah, gather up the ingredients for Ty'ani. Enough to last until our next visit._ "

" _Of course_."Atahbah acknowledged, shuffling out of the tent and onto her feet, heading toward the carriage to do as she was asked.

On her part, Ty'ani gave Ri'saad a grateful smile. " _A thousand thanks to you Ri'saad._ " she said. " _How much do I owe you for this?_ "

In turn, Ri'saad shook his head. " _Nothing._ " he told her. " _You are in greater need of those ingredients than we are. Consider this a gift for all you have done for us._ "

Ty'ani cocked a suspicious brow at that, having the feeling that there was another reason for why he was doing this. Either way, Ty'ani couldn't walk away without giving them payment of some sort. As she looked over toward Khayla's prone form, that was when she got an idea as she glanced back to Ri'saad. " _You should know me by now,_ " she told him. " _I won't take that for an answer. So how about I go see if I can convince the priests in the temple to come out here and see to Khayla? That way, she can get better and you can move on sooner._ "

The old merchant's eyes widened at that. " _You could do that?_ "

Ty'ani shrugged. " _I am Thane and the Dragonborn, so maybe they'll listen to me._ "

Ri'saad's smile widened at her words, clearly humbled by her kindness. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he squeezed it softly. " _Thank you, that would mean a great deal to us._ "

Ty'ani smiled back, wanting to grip his wrist in return but the wolf pup and the milk filled glove got in the way of that. So she instead settled for shrugging her shoulder and tilting her head, rubbing her cheek against his knuckles in a friendly manner.

As she looked down at the puppy, she noticed that it had already drank more than half of the contents of the glove. Poor thing must have been _really_ hungry, making her wonder just how long it had gone without it's mother's milk. As that thought crossed her mind, that was when Atahbah returned, a full satchel over her shoulder which she placed down next to the younger female. " _There you are Ty'ani._ " she said with a smile. Kneeling down fully next to her, the brown furred woman glanced at the dire wolf pup, a warm expression on her face as she watched it drink up the milk. " _Do you know what gender it is?_ " she asked after a moment of silence.

Frowning as she bit her lip, Ty'ani shook her head. " _No, I didn't check_." she admitted. Being careful not to dislodge the glove from it's mouth, Ty'ani bunched up the cloak with one hand, revealing the pup's body. Giving it a quick study, she nodded as she recovered it. " _It's a female_." she told them.

" _And what will you name her?_ " Ri'saad asked.

The girl paused at that, pursing and nibbling her lips in thought. She didn't have any clue at all. Looking at her, she supposed she could give the pup a name that would correlate with her looks. Either her snowy pelt or her light blue eyes. She quickly dismissed that though, thinking it would be too silly. It was then that she got an idea, as the thought of the friendship that will form between them came to the forefront of her mind. She decided to name her something that represented that. " _Ar'jenn._ " she decided.

Ri'saad nodded his head in approval. " _'Friendship'._ " he observed, translating the meaning of the name. " _Very fitting._ "

Smile widening, Ty'ani glanced back down at Ar'jenn, feeling her heart swell with emotion. It is uncertain what the future would hold, but at least she could be content in the knowledge that she had just saved a life this day. A good feeling to be sure.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The darkness covered the entirety of the tomb, giving the place an incredibly bone-chilling feeling. Only a single beam of light illuminated the underground Nordic cavern, as well as the numerous candles dotted around the corners of the alcoves. Even then, the atmosphere was still very much foreboding to any that was unfortunate enough to wonder inside, as the light shone down on an altar that stood menacingly in the centre of an incline.

The altar was of Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement. It seemed to be glaring at any whom happened to pass, the demonic eyes red and unnerving. From the open maw of the statue, blood cascaded into a large stone basin, the sanguine life force rippling due to how thick it was, giving the illusion that it was folding over itself. The occasional drops of blood dripped to the ancient stonework below, integrating in the cracks and permanently staining it. It was a fairly gruesome sight.

Crouched before the altar however, with one knee on the floor and an arm resting on the other, was a woman. She was clad in a plain black leather bodice, with a red long sleeved shirt beneath and a black hooded cape. She also wore thick black leggings and boots with metal toe-caps. Currently, her hood was pooled over her shoulders like a scarf, which allowed her long ebony hair to flow freely down her back. Her skin was dark, indicating that she was a Redguard, with a stark white skull painted on her face. Buckled to her belt was a beautiful katana, the pommel of the hilt inlaid with gold patterns, as was the sheath.

She had her eyes closed as she knelt before the disturbing display of the shrine, not at all bothered by the sight in the slightest. But soon enough, her peace was soon interrupted by the sound of soft footsteps. Such a noise would usually be missed by any other person, but this woman was far from being any normal being. Her eyes immediately snapped open, the orbs glowing unnaturally bright as her sight adjusted to the light, since her vision had been hidden behind her lids for a while. Soon enough, the glow dimmed, revealing a pair of caramel brown eyes.

She was clearly a vampire.

Raising her head slightly, the Redguard woman slowly inclined her head to the side, a sly smile forming on her full lips. "I hear you, lurking in the shadows. Come out of hiding."

Turning fully, the Redguard watched as another woman padded round the corner, standing at the bottom of the short stairway as she placed her hands on her hips. She was a Nord, clad in a more luxuriant bodice than her Redguard counterpart, with hints of metal armour integrated in with the leather, giving her more protection. On her hip was a golden elven dagger which hung from the elaborate belt around her waist. She had deathly pale skin with very fine patterning of blue veins around her jawline, which would be easily missed unless one was looking closely. Her eyes were a dull mahogany colour, with little flecks of gold which made the orbs glow slightly, and she also possessed shoulder length black hair which was tastefully braided around the crown.

The Nord vampire gave the Redguard a half smile. "Senynda. You were missed at the banquet." she commented casually. In response, Senynda snorted as she smoothly rose from her knelt position.

"Of course, Serana." she remarked. "When Orthjolf and Vingalmo persist in annoying me with their petty rivalry, it is better for the both of them if I remove myself from their presence. Worry not however, I will induldge myself later."

Serana shook her head as the Redguard woman stepped down the stairs to her. "You may have everyone else fooled, but I know better. I know that you compete for the throne just as much as they do. You have done well to hide your intentions, but you'll soon find yourself on the wrong side of both Orthjolf and Vingalmo should they catch wind of it."

"I shall loose no sleep on that prospect, they already are on the wrong side of me." as Serana shook her head again, she continued. "Come now young royal, you know that you did not come here to speak politics with me."

"Indeed not." the pale Nord replied, not at all surprised by the woman's perceptiveness. "My father, your lord, will soon be summoning the court in the main chamber, but he first wishes to speak with you."

Senynda's eyes narrowed at that, her lips pursing. "Sounds important." she commented. "I have best not keep him waiting then."

Serana's expression remained passive as the woman brushed past her. "No, you shouldn't."

Leaving Serana to follow behind at her own pace, Senynda walked through the catacomb which housed numerous coffins for all the vampires within, making her way through a door on the opposite end. She trekked through a tunnel before finally making it to the main chamber, of which stretched high above her head in a dome. Stalactites pointed menacingly down toward the bottom, as though they threatened to loosen at any given moment. Before her were two long dining tables that stretched the length of the cavern, each filled to the brim with plates, platters and goblets- none of which were silver as vampires were vulnerable to the metal- as well as the occasional barrel. All of which were stained with blood.

Sitting at the tables were more than a dozen vampires, each either drinking from their goblets or manhandling helpless victims, their faces buried in their throats. It was a fairly common sight of the vampires of the Volkihar clan, the only difference being that they no longer resided in Castle Volkihar, thanks to the rement of the accursed Dawnguard.

The invasion was an obvious sign of desperation on the hunters part, a response to their attack of their fort and the death of their leaders, but it was a devastating one to their clan as the castle had been torn down. The vast majority of the Dawnguard had been killed of course, but the rest had fled. As a result, the clan could not return to the castle, as that would invite another attack. Instead, the clan needed to replenish their numbers and remain hidden away before they could return, since their plans could not be compromised at this time.

Sidling past the feasting vampires, Senynda continued on past the chamber toward the back, where the lord of the clan was residing. Stepping through the iron door, the Redguard vampire soon found herself in a reasonably sized room, of which had been moderately decorated to accommodate the royal within. Sitting in front of a makeshift firepit was an intimidating Nord man. He was clad in striking leather inlaid with metal armour and heavy elaborate shoulder guards, as well as a pair of embroidered gauntlets, black leggings and black boots with metal toe-caps. His black hair was combed back into a low pony-tail and his beard neatly trimmed.

As Senynda approached, he slowly turned his head toward her, his dark eyes locking onto hers. "Ah," he exclaimed as he straightened in his chair. "Senynda, you are here. Good."

Bowing her head in respect, Senynda immediately spoke. "You wished to speak with me, my lord Harkon?"

"Yes, I did." he confirmed as he rose from his seat, standing over the woman as he folded his hands behind his back. "When I told you that I was grateful for my daughter's safe return, I told the truth. But I did not tell you everything."

Straightening from her bow, Senynda locked her gazes with Harkon as she let out a silent sigh. "I had suspected as much." she told him truthfully.

Harkon let slip a half smile at her honesty. "Good." he praised. "Strong instincts and a cunning mind will serve you as well as a blade, spell or claw." he began to pace as he spoke. "As you know, vampires are powerful, but we have our limits. Our greatest enemy is the sun, and until recently it is an enemy we had no way to fight. For centuries I searched for an answer to this problem. I found an old prophecy written by a Moth Priest, those scholars who read the Elder Scrolls. The prophecy tells of a time in which vampires will gain power over the sun, and will no longer fear its tyranny. I believe the secret to unravelling that prophecy is written in Serana's Elder Scroll."

At that he paused in his pacing, glancing at Senynda whom was listening intently. Crossing his arms, he continued. "I have ordered the court to assemble. I have a new task for us all to carry out, and that includes you. Come now, and hear my proclamations." beckoning to her to follow him, he exited the room.

Harkon, with Senynda close behind, walked back to the main chamber. They both climbed a set of stairs that lead above the dining tables, where an ancient throne sat. Harkon stood before the chair while Senynda stood at the side, spying Serana on the other side. The male Nord vampire raised his arms wide as he addressed the court.

"Scions of the night! Hear my words!" he called, bringing all eyes to him as the chamber grew silent, eager to listen to what their lord had to say. "The prophesied time is at last upon us. Soon we will claim dominion over the sun itself, and forge a new realm of eternal darkness. Now that I have reclaimed one of my Elder Scrolls, we must find a Moth Priest to read it. I have spread false rumours about the discovery of an Elder Scroll in Skyrim to lure a Moth Priest here."

He stepped down from the perch a couple times, raising his voice more. "Now it is time to see if those efforts have borne fruit. Go forth, and search the land for rumours of a Moth Priest within our borders. Look to the cities. Speak to Inn keepers, carriage drivers, anyone who would speak to a traveller. Go now, and carry out this task. This is my command!"

The moment Harkon ceased speaking, the chamber became abuzz with activity as the court departed to prepare themselves for their task. Senynda and Serana stepped down from the podium, the Nord woman placing a hand on the Redguard's shoulder. "So, any idea how you're going to find a Moth Priest? Skyrim's a pretty big place."

Furrowing her brows in thought as she played with a lock of her hair, Senynda replied. "Hard to say, Moth Priests truly are a fairly perplexing lot. What would you suggest?"

"Well," Serana began as she place a hand on her hip. "Back before I... you know. The College of Winterhold was the first place I'd think to go for any kind of magic or historical thing. The wizards know about all kinds of things that people probably shouldn't know about." it was then that she pursed her lips, looking Senynda in the eye. "Actually, now that I think of it... I'm going to come along with you. After what happened at the castle, I've been really wanting to get out and explore a bit."

Smiling in understanding, the Redguard vampire nodded. "Very well." she said in her honey smooth voice, beginning to march out of the vast chamber. "Come along then, we are just wasting time standing here and debating. Let us gather our provisions and go."


	11. A Game at Dinner

**4E 201  
25th of Evening Star**

Ty'ani's naked and exposed body was curled in a tight fetal position with her hands slammed over her ears, her sapphire orbs hidden behind closed lids in fear. The dark void she had been subjected to surrounded her, feeling as though she had been trapped in its vast density forever, her nudity adding to her vulnerability.

The sounds of multiple wing claps filled the emptiness at all sides, a cold presence to the air as the nightmares circled around her.

" _ **Hin hah motmah, Dovahkiin**_." came that dreaded dark voice, one that had been haunting her for weeks. " ** _Hin sil los sahlo._** "

"No!" she shrieked, attempting to flatten her hands harder over her ears but it was a fruitless effort as she was completely paralysed. This simple fact added to her terror as she tried desperately to block out the voice. It was pointless though, as it had burrowed directly into her mind, giving her no other choice but to listen. "No! Go away, go away!"

" _ **Ful sahlo**_." it taunted. " ** _Ful votahriik_**."

All around her, the voices of the other entities whispered to her, mocking her. " _Sahlo! Votahriik_!" they repeated over and over again.

Tears begun to fall from between her tightly shut lids, her breath coming in panicked pants. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" she screamed. As she was too afraid to open her eyes, she failed to notice the silhouette of a black apparition appearing before her. Enormous wings that seemed to fill the void itself wrapped around her form, smoky shadow blending with the emptyness around them and it's very form, the wisps trailing behind it's movements as a pair of red eyes glared directly at her.

" _ **Hi fen luft zey, Dovahkiin, ahrk hi fen funt**_." it bellowed, the deep bass of it's voice vibrating through her being. " ** _Hin kopraan ahrk sil fen nev, ahrk lein fen kos hah wah al_**."

Ty'ani screamed when the entity encircled her entirely, seeming to be squeezing the life-force out of her. She fought against the hold as best she could and amazingly, it seemed to have worked. The hold was released and she began falling, soon after landing hard upon her back causing her head to explode with pain. Immediately she shot up, her eyes wide as she glanced around in a frenzy. In a single second, panic rose again when she discovered that she couldn't see properly. All that met her vision was blurred shapes and colours. However, her ears twitched when she heard hurried footsteps thumping nearby.

In the next moment as she began to blink her eyes clear, that was when someone came round the corner, dashing to her side instantly. "By Gods, you alright dear? What happened?"

Inhaling breath like it was her last, the Khajiit finally managed to clear her vision. The form of the Companion's caretaker, Tilma the Haggard, knelt before her, the old woman's wrinkled expression one of great concern. Realising that she was in the sleeping quarters of Jorrvaskr, Ty'ani immediately relaxed, rubbing her eyes to wake herself up further.

"I-" she started hoarsely, her throat quite dry. Clearing it, she tried again. "I'm alright. Just a bad dream."

Despite her reassurance, Tilma still looked worried. "Bad enough to cause you to fall from bed. Are you hurt at all?" she fussed, prodding at the girl's head.

Gently pushing away her hands, Ty'ani gave the old woman a small smile. "Nothing bad, just a little bump. I've had worse."

Tilma smiled back at that. "Oh, as have everyone here. But I heard you yelling out quite loud, so that must have been quite the bad dream. If you ever need to talk to anyone about it..."

"I'll talk to you, I know." the girl finished for her, brushing her dishevelled hair over her shoulders as she rose from the floor. She stretched as Tilma stood also, glancing back toward her bed. Thankfully, she spotted the mess of blankets that made up Ar'jenn's nest were she had left it last night, the dire wolf pup herself still inside, though her cool blue eyes were open as she wriggled around on clumsy legs. Ty'ani nibbled her lip bashfully at this, feeling guilty that she had awoken the pup.

Tilma watched as the Khajiit gathered the wolf pup in her arms and sitting back on the bed, letting out cooing noises to sooth her. Soon enough though, she glanced around the area, seeing none of the other Companions around. Frowning, she looked up at the old woman with an inquiring expression. "What time of day it is?"

"It's mid-morning dear." Tilma answered. At the Khajiit's alarmed look, the elder just smiled kindly. "Oh don't worry yourself, there's no need for you to rush. It's Winter Solstice, so there will be no training today."

"Winter Solstice?" Ty'ani repeated, placing a hand on her forehead in realisation. With everything that had happened to her recently, and with her training occupying her attention, she didn't realise that Winter Solstice was coming. "Gods, I had completely forgotten." she mused.

"Don't worry too much about it, dear." Tilma told her. "You just get yourself ready. Oh, and that Housecarl of yours is waiting for you upstairs. It looked as though she has something to tell you." at that, the old woman gave Ty'ani one last smile and left, picking up a broom as she went.

Now alone, Ty'ani sighed. She couldn't believe that the Winter Solstice had completely slipped her mind. Not that she had let it bother her before of course, as Khajiit don't celebrate the Solstice the same way humans do. Plus, with the way her life had been in the past, she never had the luxury or interest in celebrating any of the holidays, unless she was there to steal from the party goers. In fact, Baranth Do was the first one she had attended legitimately.

Even still, since she now apparently has some time off training, she may as well make the most of it. She'll still meet with her companions at the Bannered Mare as usual, and decide where to go from there. But first, she had another matter to take care of before all that, as Ar'jenn whimpered and wriggled in her grip. Smiling, Ty'ani gently set the pup down on the bed. "All right, let's get you fed, Ar'jenn." she whispered, reaching into her bag for the bottle of left over milk from yesterday.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

After feeding Ar'jenn, Ty'ani soon dressed in her plain shirt, bodice, breeches, boots and cloak and made her way up to the main hall, the dire wolf in her arms. Looking around, she noticed that most of the Companions were present, though she was taken aback when her ears were greeted with the sounds of cheering at the other end. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that there was an arm wrestling match between Torvar and Athis. No doubt borne out of the debate of which of their fighting methods was the best.

Farkas, Vilkas and Njada were nearby, each placing bets as they encouraged the one they were supporting. The Dunmer and Nord's faces were red with exertion, neither one backing down from the match. That was a sign that the two of them had been at it for a while. Clearly it would continue on for some time, as the two of them were too stubborn for their own good.

Shaking her head, Ty'ani looked round some more, seeing Aela at the dining table. She was just eating some breakfast but it was clear she was also keeping an eye on the match. She also spotted Lydia seated on a bench by the entrance, dressed in a dark uniform with a leather doublet over top which bore Whiterun's colours and sigil. It appeared that even her dutiful Housecarl was looking to relax today, but still she looked ready for a fight since she still had her sword at her hip.

Walking over to the brunette, Lydia glanced over to her as she greeted the Nord. "Morning Lydia."

"Good morning Thane." she replied back tersely as she rose from her seat, giving her an amused look when Ar'jenn squirmed from the disturbances around them and attempted to lick Ty'ani's chin. Jerking her head away from the pup, Ty'ani spoke again.

"Is something wrong? Usually you just wait for me at the Inn."

Lydia shook her head. "No, nothing is wrong." she pursed her lips then, squinting one eye partially closed as she folded her hands behind her back. "Well, in a sense anyway. The Jarl had spoken to me before I came here, and he tells me that he wishes for you to be present at Dragonsreach for a Solstice feast tonight."

Lydia clearly saw the surprise in Ty'ani's features, watching her bite her lip as she processed what was just told to her. "Dinner?" she said at last. "At the Jarl's palace? Surrounded by nobles?"

"Yes, specifically nobles journeying from other cities. Whiterun is to be the host of Winter Solstice this year, as is tradition." Lydia confirmed with a nod. "All though, the Grey-Manes will be absent for obvious reasons, as the Battle-Borns will be present. Is something wrong with this request?"

Ty'ani worried her lip between her teeth again, nervously brushing her hair behind her shoulders as her ears drooped. "Well, I don't exactly have much experience mingling with nobles, except... well."

Knowing full well what the Khajiit was referring to, Lydia's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't elaborate on it. "Understandable." she said at last, but soon relaxed again. "But you are Thane of Whiterun, and as Thane it would not look good on you if you refuse your own Jarl's invitation, would it?"

"Well no, I suppose not." Ty'ani murmured, sighing. "It's not just that though; the other nobles will know about me being Dragonborn. I'm not ready to reveal that yet."

Lydia shook her head. "It must happen sooner or later, Ty'ani. You are considered a very important person at this feast, so therefore the nobles will need to know of your status."

Ty'ani's head lowered at that, groaning. This was so spontanious and she wasn't ready for it, since the nobles would return to their cities with the knowledge of her Dragonborn status and spread the news to the masses. The thought was truly terrifying. She was tempted not to go, but Lydia was right, she is the Thane of Whiterun and it would be plain rude to ignore her own Jarl's summons. "Very well," she relented at last. "When do we depart?"

"The gathering will be at sun down." the Housecarl replied. "That will give you more than enough time to make yourself look presentable."

Ty'ani wasn't so sure about that. Sighing yet again, she adjusted her cloak further around her shoulders before exiting the meadhall, Lydia right behind her. "Yeah, sure." she whispered lowly before raising her voice so the Nord could hear her. "Let's just get to the Mare."

"Right behind you."

The two walked down from Jorrvaskr and into the bustling and snowy streets of Whiterun. They dodged between citizens and visitors, spying many of them decorating houses and stands with lanterns and such for the festival tonight. As they made their way to the Plains District, the marketplace was revealed to be extremely busy as the number of shop vendors had increased. Added with the usual stands that Whiterun was famous for was some stands for arms and armour, magical items, a multitude of alcoholic beverages and so on. The stands stretched all the way to the city gates, of which were opened which revealed more stands encircled around the inner courtyard, all in an effort to attract travellers. Slipping through the crowd, the two finally entered the Bannered Mare.

Inside was slightly quieter, with only a few patrons gathered around the fire, but the tavern workers were milling about making the place look a little more festive. It didn't take long for the two to find everyone else occupying a table at the back, each with a breakfast in front of them already.

As they approached, Haema was the first to spot them. "Ah, there you two are. We'd begun to think you got lost in the crowd."

"Sorry about that." Ty'ani apologised as she and Lydia took a seat. "Had to make sure Ar'jenn was fed."

"And how is the little nipper?" Altwen asked, leaning toward the Khajiit to get a look at the wolf pup.

"She's actually doing really well." she answered, allowing the wolf to rest her front paws on the table. "She's already got most of her strength back and begun to move around some more. I think she'll start walking on her own soon." as she said that, she had been tickling the wolf under her chin, which prompted the pup to start nibbling at her finger. As she was still quite young, her tiny milk teeth didn't hurt the Khajiit, but Ty'ani had to jerk her finger away every so often when the pup got too overzealous.

"How old is she anyway?" Haema inquired.

Humming, Altwen crossed her arms as she gazed at the blonde Nord. "I'd say she's around five weeks old, so really she'd be able to walk around on her own anyway. But since her mother and littermates're dead, she didn't get what she needed to survive on her own." glancing back at Ty'ani, she continued. "You know what Kitten, now I think about it, a couple more days on milk and I'd say you can start weanin' her. Just be prepared to chase after her once she finds her feet."

"Don't worry." Ty'ani reassured, cupping Ar'jenn under her chest to pull her back to her lap when she started to try to mount the table. "I've got it under control."

It was at that point that the barmaid walked over, giving the two newcomers a small smile each. "Morning." she greeted. "What will you two be having?"

"Bread and cheese with some ale, thank you Saadia." Lydia responded.

"Same for me, but with water please." Ty'ani said, manoeuvring Ar'jenn back onto her lap again when she almost slipped off.

"Coming right up." and with that, the Redguard retreated to the kitchens.

While she was gone, Altwen took a swig from her tankard and placed it back down, leaning forward on the table. "So," she began, giving all of them a look. "What're the plans for tonight then ladies? It's Winter Solstice after all."

"We are aware of that." Alasse commented lowly after taking a sip from her mug.

Altwen leant back and rested one arm on the back of the chair, giving them a wide smile. "Well you know me, I'm goin' to go to the festival tonight and get absolutely shit-faced."

"That comes as no surprise." Lydia asserted, her green eyes rolling in indignation.

Letting out a snort, the half-elf prodded on. "Hey, that's just me. So come on, what're you lot doin' then?"

"Well," Haema began. "Since the Grey-Manes are not going to Dragonsreach tonight, my family and I are staying at their's for Winter Solstice, and we'll be having a feast just before the festival. The children will then be let loose to enjoy themselves for the evening."

At that point, Saadia returned with Lydia and Ty'ani's meals, placing the wooden plates and mugs down before the two and leaving once they exchanged coin. Once she left and the two dug in to the meal, Alasse crossed her arms as she spoke up. "I have no plans for Solstice tonight."

Altwen frowned at that. "So what you doin' instead? Stickin' your nose in a book or somethin'?"

Lips thinning at the comment, Alasse made no move to retaliate, only to answer civilly. "My notes are in need of organising and that will take me most of the day to complete. The further research I have obtained has doubled my work load, and I must be sure that it is complete."

The huntress groaned at that. "You and your research. Do you even know the meanin' of fun?" ignoring the Altmer's glare of discontent, Altwen then turned her attention onto Ty'ani. "So what about you, Kitten?"

Swallowing down a small lump of goat cheese while keeping it out of Ar'jenn's reach, Ty'ani bit her lip. "Well, the Jarl has invited me up to Dragonsreach for a feast tonight."

Haema, Alasse and Altwen all rose their brows at that, though the half-elf especially was interested. "Ooh, dinner with the Jarl huh? Fancy that."

"That make sense." Haema pointed out, glancing at Ty'ani. "As Thane, it is expected of you to speak with the nobility from time to time, so this event will allow you to learn of their etiquettes."

"That may be." the Khajiit replied, finishing her cheese and moving on to her bread. "But honestly, I'm the _last_ person to mingle around with nobility."

"Then you will learn to keep your hands to yourself." Alasse commented with narrow eyes. In response, Ty'ani ducked her head down as her shoulders rose, attempting to hide her ashamed expression behind her pewter mug as she took a swig of water.

Altwen however frowned at the high-elf. "Hey, come on, give the girl some credit would ya? She may have sticky fingers, but that don't mean that she can't be trusted."

Ty'ani just shrugged. "I wouldn't think too hard on it anyway, I think I'll be too petrified to _speak_ to anyone less I offend them. You know how some nobles can be."

"Be that as it may," Lydia replied. "You will be spoken to regardless. As you are Dragonborn, you can guarantee that the higher class will want to know of your experiences against dragons and such. All you must do is be polite and not speak unless spoken to, and you will be fine."

Altwen arched a brow at that. "Sounds to me that you've got a bit of experience under that belt of yours, Sunshine."

Lydia bristled slightly at the woman, having the feeling that she was implying more than she let on. Deciding not to allow the slattern to see that she was offended by that idea, she instead just cocked a brow as she responded. "I was a city guard and I often had to patrol in Dragonsreach itself. One learns to speak civilly with nobility when surrounded by them on an almost daily basis."

"Riiight." Altwen drawled mockingly, which caused the Nord to frown.

Rolling her icy eyes, Haema spoke up before things got ugly. "Altwen, enough." once the half-elf slumped back, looking far too pleased with herself, the blonde turned her attention back to the white Khajiit. "Listen Ty'ani, I wouldn't worry too much about it. As Lydia said, just be sure to stay polite but remain yourself as much as you can. The Jarl is the only one you must really concern yourself with, and he is a very patient man."

The Khajiit sighed at that. "All right." she responded as she popped the final bit of bread in her mouth.

"However," Haema continued, spying the little white wolf pawing at Ty'ani's bodice as she whimpered. "I'm afraid you will not be able to take your wolf with you. She will cause too much of a disturbance."

Brows furrowing, Ty'ani glanced down at Ar'jenn, letting the little dire wolf nibble at her fingers again as she swallowed down the last of her meal. "But I can't leave her alone, she's too young."

Altwen's full lips smiled at that, resting her head on a fist while leaning on the table. "Hey, no worries Kitten, I can take care of her while your minglin' with the nobles. Means I'll have to give up my plans for tonight but, eh, what can ya do?" in response, Ty'ani gave the half-elf a grateful smile. But Altwen then cocked a brow as she studied Ty'ani's clothing, humming in thought. "You know this is gonna be a fancy event, Kitten, so what you plannin' on wearin'?"

"Er..." Ty'ani merely responded. Now that she thought about it, she actually had no idea. The only clothes that she had was what she was wearing now plus another set, her night shirt and her armour, of which was out of the question since it was scuffed and not very fitting for a formal party. Well, she did have another set of armour, but she was _definitely_ not wearing that to the party. Biting her lip, she continued bashfully. "I don't know. I don't really have anything nice to wear."

All of a sudden, in the span of half a second, Altwen's expression lit up with a huge grin. The half-elf jumped up out her seat and gripped the girl's shoulder. "In that case then Kitten, you and me are goin' shoppin'!" she exclaimed happily.

Blinking at the woman's sudden excitement, Ty'ani stuttered before responding. "Oh erm, no that's fine Altwen, you don't have to do that."

"You got no choice in that." the half-elf remarked before pulling the Khajiit girl to her feet. Ty'ani barely had time to grab hold of Ar'jenn to keep her from falling when Altwen did that, just registering that she had draped her cloak over her shoulders before she was suddenly being dragged out of the Inn.

"Altwen!" she yelled in surprise, seeing the confused, annoyed and amused looks on her companions faces before the door closed behind them. "Altwen, wait, stop!"

"No worries Kitten." Altwen said as she turned back to glance at her. "Once I'm through with ya, you'll be the envy of the crowd. Oh, we are going to have a whole load of fun!"

After that, Altwen continued to prattle on. Evidently, despite half-elf's boyish attitude and poor manners, she happened to be quite a girly girl when it came to shopping. Ty'ani continued to be dragged down the line of vendors and on the way, Altwen went on and on about fine clothing and dresses, as well as jewellery and shoes. And by Gods, she would not shut up about the shoes especially. It was quite baffling to the young Khajiit, as that topic was truthfully the last thing she would affiliate with Altwen of all people.

At last, after what felt like an endless stream of suggestions and ideas- all in a very girlish tone- the huntress stopped in front of a colourful aravel outside the city walls, the makeshift stall before it sporting neatly folded collections of finely tailored clothing. Two Dunmer women occupied the stall, the younger of the two fixing a beautiful silk dress with a needle and thread, her hands very steady despite the cold. The oldest smiled when the two approached, standing from her seat as she greeted them.

"Hello there travellers. Could I interest you in any of our wares?"

"Indeed you could." Altwen responded, pushing Ty'ani in front of her. "My friend here is in need of a dress, as she's been invited to the Jarl's palace for a party."

The woman's brows rose in surprise at that. "A Khajiit attending a noble party? Interesting." she mused, but soon waved it off. "Ah, but that is not my concern. Now let's see..." she studied Ty'ani with deep scrutiny, making the girl squirm uncomfortably. As the dark-elf circled her, Ty'ani's ears twitched as she muttered to herself. "Hmm, small, very skinny. Hardly a breast to speak of but quite good sized hips. Yes, I think we can work with you. Come with me dear." the woman said at last, disappearing into the aravel soon after. With a sigh, Ty'ani handed Ar'jenn carefully to Altwen before following the woman.

The inside was narrow but surprisingly spacious. The compartments in the walls were filled with an assortments of dresses and tunics and such, as well as some Dunmer inspired decorations hanging from the ceiling. The old dark-elf woman was rummaging around in a compartment of Nordic inspired gowns, though it didn't take her long to pull one out. Seeing it, Ty'ani grimaced. This was going to take a while.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Ty'ani had been inside the aravel for the better half of an hour trying on dresses. Most of the ones that she tried she didn't like. Well honestly, she didn't feel very comfortable wearing dresses at all, since she hadn't worn a dress since she ran away from the orphanage as a child. All her life she contended with makeshift clothes or whatever she could steal. Anything that would allow her to move freely without restricting her movements. This was an entirely new experience for her as not one made her feel comfortable. The vast majority of the ones the Dunmer had pulled out either didn't entirely match with her natural colouration- which is what the old woman herself pointed out- or felt too itchy for her or was far too vibrant for her liking.

After a while, Altwen suddenly entered the aravel. Seeing the Khajiit sitting at the far end in only her small clothes, with the Dunmer woman rummaging through the dresses, the half-elf cocked a brow. "You're takin' a long time Kitten." she pointed out.

"I know." Ty'ani sighed. "But I've tried on a lot of these dresses and none of them are appealing to me at all. I just don't feel comfortable."

Humming, Altwen stepped further in, still cradling Ar'jenn to her chest as she sat beside the Khajiit. "Y'know Kitten, I think your problem is that you don't feel very safe, do ya?"

Ty'ani just shrugged, gazing down at the floor dejectedly. "I suppose."

"In which case," Altwen continued, glancing at the Dunmer whom glanced back. "Maybe you need something that will give the _illusion_ of protection?"

In response to that, the dark elf placed a hand on her chin in thought. Soon after though, her eyes lit up with an idea. "I think I may have just the thing."

With that, she moved down the line and pushed aside the brightly coloured gowns, beginning to dig further in the alcove. Soon enough, she carefully pulled out another dress and unfolded it.

The dress was admittedly very appealing to look at. It was simple in it's design, the skirt flowing and the sleeves long. It was made from some sort of velvet with a white linen under skirt peaking below the trim of the dress. The velvet was a deep blue colour with black trimming along the bottom of the skirt and along the neckline, both of which had silver and gold Nordic inspired embroidery all along it. It also had a thin black leather bodice, which was clearly not made for battle, with multiple buckles which would easily adjust to the woman wearing it, allowing it to clinch to her waist snugly. It too had silver and gold embroidery stitched into it, giving it a very delicate and tasteful look.

Seeing her expression, the Dunmer woman smiled, beckoning her over. "Come now dear, try it on."

Biting her lip, Ty'ani stood and walked over. The Dunmer took the bodice away, loosening the laces on the back of the dress so it would be easier for Ty'ani to slip in. Bunching the bottom of the dress, the Dunmer helped to put it over Ty'ani's head, the girl raising her arms as she searched for the sleeves. Once on, Ty'ani flattened and adjusted it as the woman tightened the laces. She then took the bodice and slipped that over Ty'ani's head. Pulling on the buckles, the leather tightened around her body, but not so tight that she couldn't move freely.

Once done, the Dunmer stepped back, allowing Ty'ani to turn to the mirror at the back of the aravel. The Khajiit bit her lip as she appraised herself, picking at the skirt and spreading it out. It was a little too long for her liking since it noticeably touched the ground, and her tail was constricted under the skirt but it was very comfortable none the less. The velvet was very soft and the linen lining was silky to the touch as well. She also liked that the muted colours of the trimming mixed well with the dark blue, finding that it also went really well with the colour of her eyes.

Seeing her smile, Altwen beamed at her. "So, we found the one?"

Looking at the woman, Ty'ani nodded. "Yes, I suppose. I mean, I'm never going to get used to wearing dresses, but this one feels comfortable at least." though she looked around as she flicked her tail, grunting in annoyance when the material restricted the fifth limbs movement. Looking at the Dunmer, she inquired meekly. "I don't suppose you could make space for my tail, could you?"

The woman bit her lip, shaking her head. "Not on such short notice I'm afraid. It's not a simple job of cutting a hole out for you, as this is a formal dress. It would take me quite a while to ensure that it doesn't flay and I won't be able to do that before you need it."

Ty'ani sighed at that, frowning. Seeing her exasperation, Altwen just shrugged. "Hey, come on. So your tail's restricted, it's only gonna be for one night."

"I suppose." Ty'ani sighed. Before long, she shrugged. "All right, so how much?"

"Five-hundred Septims." the Dunmer responded.

Seeing Ty'ani's panicked expression, since she didn't have enough in her coin purse, Altwen smiled as she brandished her own from a belt pouch. "Don't worry Kitten, I'll pay." she reassured as she handed the purse to the woman. In turn, Ty'ani frowned at the huntress in confusion.

"Wherever did you get that much coin?" she questioned as the Dunmer helped her out of the dress.

Altwen smiled. "You'd be surprised how much money people pay for game these days."

It didn't take long for Ty'ani to change back into her old clothes after that. The two left the aravel with the dress folded over the Khajiit's arm and Ar'jenn cradled in the other, following close behind the half-elf lest she become lost in the crowd around them. Heading back into the city, Ty'ani was soon dragged by the half-elf again toward another stand. Seeing that it was filled with shoes, Ty'ani groaned. "Gods Altwen, I don't need new shoes as well, my boots will do just fine."

"Oh I don't think so, Kitten." the huntress protested. "A dress like that needs a good pair of pretty shoes to go with it."

Ignoring the Khajiit's groans, Altwen appraised the shoes with keen interest. The Breton man behind the counter smiled at the woman's eagerness, waiting patiently for her to make a choice. Before long, Altwen picked up a pair of pretty doe-skin shoes, of which were stitched in a certain way that made the natural leather look like it had scales. They looked as though they were made for a child but they seemed to be very supple, which would make it easier for them to mould to Ty'ani's tiny feet, and the lacing up the sides would keep them in place. It wasn't like Ty'ani would be doing much walking tonight anyway.

Turning to the Khajiit, Altwen presented the shoes to her, almost laughing out loud at the girl's irritated look. "I really hate you right now, you know that?"

"Oh shush up and try on the shoes, would you."

Huffing, Ty'ani handed her the dress and the dire wolf pup and took the shoes. The Breton gestured to the chair next to the stand, which she sat in. Removing her knee high boots, Ty'ani swiftly pulled on the doe-skin shoes, deciding to get this over with. One they were on and laced up her lower legs, she stood up with a frown.

"Well?" Altwen prodded.

Tapping the ground below her, Ty'ani's frown deepened as she looked up at the half-elf. "I can't feel the ground properly." she complained.

Rolling her forest eyes, Altwen placed her hands on her hips. "Oh stop your moanin', it's only for one night." watching the Khajiit sigh and sit back in the chair to take off the shoes, Altwen turned to the Breton man. "We'll take those ones." she told him, leaving no room for Ty'ani to argue as she handed over a coin purse.

Turning back to Ty'ani, she waited for the girl to fasten her boots back up and to pick up her new shoes. Soon enough the two moved away, the Khajiit forcing the half-elf to carry the new clothes and shoes while she carried Ar'jenn. Stepping back toward the main square of the Plains District, Altwen soon spoke up again. "Maybe we should get you some new jewellery as well."

Scowling, Ty'ani turned on the woman. "No." she told her with a tone of finality. "No more, what I have will do."

"Oh?" Altwen replied, a wide smile emerging on her face. "You sayin' you got some other jewellery then? Cus that one your wearin' don't go that well with the dress."

"It's fine." Ty'ani protested, gripping the Amulet of Articulation in a fist as if to protect it from the woman's scrutany.

Pausing in her step, causing the Khajiit to do the same, Altwen shook her head at the girl, her voice lowering to a whisper. "Really, Kitten? This is a _formal_ event, and while the pendent your wearin' is pretty, I'm sure the nobles don't need to know that you're part of the Thieves Guild."

Ty'ani blinked at that, surprised that the huntress knew that. She quickly glanced around, trying to see if anyone had heard them but thankfully no one had. Looking back at Altwen, Ty'ani inquired. "How do you know that?"

The half-elf rolled her eyes, pointing at the pendent as she explained. "Diamond shaped symbols with a circle in the centre, it's a mark that's been used in the Thieves Guild for centuries. My mate's sister was in the Guild in Cyrodill, remember?"

"Right." Ty'ani responded, lowering her head bashfully. She should have known that Altwen would figure it out after she had told her that. "Fine, in that case then, I do have one other piece of jewellery."

Altwen smile returned at that. "Good, then let's go have a look." at that, they headed back toward the Wind District and Jorrvaskr.

The two walked through the meadhall and to the stairwell that lead to the living quarters, then to where Ty'ani left her equipment. As Ty'ani put Ar'jenn on the bed and grabbed her backpack, Alwen placed the dress and shoes on the bed before sitting beside them, watching the Khajiit rummage through her pack. Seeing the girl fiddling with a button for a small inner pocket, she smiled, utterly intrigued. "Ooh, this got a special place in your pack, huh?"

Glancing up briefly, Ty'ani shrugged as the button came loose. "It's just so I don't lose it." she told the woman as she reached into the pocket and pulled out a gold pendent. The Khajiit passed it to the half-elf as she spoke again. "There, you think that will do?"

Altwen didn't reply at first and looking at her, Ty'ani found that her expression was one of surprise as she appraised the jewellery. It was subtle, but it was there.

On her part, Altwen's mind was going a mile a minute. The pendent she held was very familiar to her. It was made from gold and, after a second of appraising it, was actually revealed a locket, which was round and flat-ish with a tightly sealed clasp. The centre was inlaid with silver with etchings of two cresent moons on it, and a small white diamond in the centre. It was very valuable, that much was obvious, but she also knew that it was very old. Blinking, she looked over at Ty'ani, an inquiring expression on her face. "Where on Nirn did you get this?" she asked at last.

Frowning in confusion at the woman's tone, Ty'ani answered. "Erm... well to be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I was told that I was found with it around my neck as a cub, so I've had it my whole life as far as I know."

Altwen's brows furrowed at that, many conclusions and explanations running through her mind. "This is very old, Kitten, I've never seen one like it in a long time. Could it be possible that it's a family heirloom?"

Ty'ani shrugged. "I suppose. I mean, it's possible my parents gave it to me before they disappeared... or died." the girl's expression fell then, her head lowering as she folded her hands on her lap. "To be honest, I don't really know what happened to them, all I know was that I lived in an orphanage for four years before I ran away to live on the streets. That locket is the only thing that could link me to my past, but I could never open it. I've tried so many times, and I even paid a wizard at the mages guild in Cyrodiil to open it with no success. Eventually I just gave up but I didn't have the heart to sell it, so I just kept it."

"Huh." Altwen merely replied, looking back at the locket as she went silent. She debated with herself to tell Ty'ani about what she knew, deciding in the end to reveal a little. The full truth would come to her when she was ready for it, as there was too much riding on the girl for her to handle it right now. "You know what Kitten, I think I might actually know where this locket came from. It may have belonged to my mate's sister."

Glancing up, Ty'ani stared at Altwen with a curious look. "Really?" she asked.

"Really." the huntress confirmed with a nod, returning her gaze back to Ty'ani. "She had connections in the Khajiiti trade and requested one like this to be made for her. Dunno why, she just did. Also, as far as I know it had some enchantments put on it that only activated when both moons were full. Not sure what it does though. Last I heard, she passed it down to her children before she died."

Ty'ani wasn't sure what to think of what was just revealed to her, her mind racing. If Altwen's mate's sister did in fact have this very locket, then maybe Altwen was right before when she first met her; maybe she is related to this person. Glancing up at the woman, Ty'ani spoke at last. "What was her name?"

Looking the Khajiit in her sapphire orbs, Altwen let loose a smile. "Her name was Ainrji." she answered. "And I know what your thinkin' and yes, I do think that she may very well be your ancestor, cus she looked just like you. Y'know, that could also mean that you and I could be related, albeit in a very round about way."

That made Ty'ani huff. To think that she's related to a half-elf, not by blood but by marriage. Stranger things have happened she supposed. "That's something that would confuse many people." she pointed out with amusement. Altwen laughed in response. Ty'ani laughed with her as she brushed her hair behind her shoulders, turning around when she felt Ar'jenn paw at and try to bite her flicking tail. The wolf pup was obviously trying to play with it, and that made her smile widen. Looking back at Altwen, she continued once she stopped laughing. "Well ayway, do you think the locket will be okay for tonight?"

Handing the jewellery back to the Khajiit, Altwen nodded. "Aye, that I do. And I think you should wear it more often as well, I bet it looks lovely on you." at Ty'ani's nod, Altwen got up form the bed. "Well, I'm gonna head back to the Mare, you comin'?"

"I will soon." Ty'ani answered as she slipped the locket back into the pocket of her pack. "I have to feed Ar'jenn first and I'll be right there."

"All right." Altwen added, beginning to exit the living quarters. "When you turn up, how's about I continue teachin' you how to play Harzard before the party tonight."

Ty'ani smiled in return. "As long as you don't cheat again."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

With dusk approaching, Ty'ani left the Bannered Mare to get ready for the feast, Altwen insisting on going with her. As of now, the Khajiit had slipped into her new dress, Altwen helping her with the latches on her bodice. The half-elf turned away with the intent of grabbing Ty'ani's hair brush but when she turned back, she caught the girl attempting to pull on her boots, to which the woman frowned.

"Oh no you don't." she scolded, moving over to pull away the Khajiit's boots. "You're wearing the shoes I bought you."

Ty'ani groaned when the half-elf presented the doe-skin shoes to her. "But I don't like them." she whined.

"Oh come on, it's just for one night and you won't wear 'em again."

Groaning again with a roll of her eyes, Ty'ani snatched up the shoes and pulled them on. Once on, she gasped when the twine that held her hair in its half pony-tail was pulled out, snapping her head up to glare at Altwen. "What are you doing?"

The huntress brandished the comb that she took from Ty'ani's pack along with a couple of silk hair ties. "I'm gonna do your hair for you. You don't wanna show up at a formal event with plain hair now, do you?"

"Altwen." Ty'ani moaned.

"Come on Kitten." the half-elf pressed. Ty'ani sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to win this fight, so she relented. Perching herself on the edge of the bed, Ty'ani sat up straight as Altwen got situated behind her. Soon enough, the huntress began to brush through her hair, which tugged every now and then since her hair had become slightly tangled throughout the day.

It didn't take long for the comb to flow through the Khajiit's ebony locks smoothly, and that was when Altwen got to work. She bunched up a small amount of hair on the right side, running her fingers through it to ensure that it would stay neat. As she began to braid the strands, gathering up more hair as she went, she spoke up. "Wow Kitten, I had no idea your hair was so soft and silky. And so thick as well! How do you do that?"

Ty'ani shrugged her shoulders, being mindful not to move her head too much. "I don't know, must be all the milk I drank when I was younger."

"Oh come on," Altwen pressed, now beginning to fully braid the hair without gathering more. "There must be a secret to it, and you have to tell me."

"I'm being honest, I really don't know. It just happens."

Altwen huffed at that. "Well," she said as she slowly reached the bottom of the braid. "I have to say I'm _very_ jealous. I can never get my hair to stay soft, it's always so dry, and I've had three-hundred years to figure it out. Hold that for me, would you?"

In response, Ty'ani only shrugged as she grabbed the braid on the side of her hair as Altwen moved on to the other side, falling into silence as the woman worked. By the time she finished, Ty'ani's hair had two large braids running halfway across the crown of her head both of which were tied together in a single silk tie Altwen didn't stop there however, as she began to work on creating smaller braids all along Ty'ani's loose hair, allowing them to fall down her shoulders and back.

Now that the half-elf was finally done, Ty'ani ran her hands along her hair, feeling all the different braids. It was simple and tasteful, which Ty'ani was thankful for, since she was sort of expecting Altwen to go crazy and do something more complicated than that.

Just as Ty'ani was about to stand, Altwen held her down by her shoulder. "Hold on a moment, Kitten." she told her as she went rummaging through the Khajiit's pack. Soon enough, she pulled out the golden locket, undoing the latch. "Take off your amulet."

Sighing, Ty'ani reach around her neck to take off the Theives Guild amulet, holding it in one hand as Altwen looped the locket over her head. As she pulled the clasps behind the girl's neck, Ty'ani lifted her hair out the way, allowing the half-elf to fix it into place. When she was done, allowing the locket to sit at her bosom, Ty'ani frowned slightly at the jewellery's weight. It was slightly heavier than her amulet, but not so much that it was a bother.

Now that she was ready, Altwen picked off some loose hairs from the back of Ty'ani's dress as the girl placed the amulet in her pack, brushing down the skirt once she was on her feet. The Khajiit turned when she heard Ar'jenn whimper, seeing the little dire wolf attempting to rise to her feet and move around on the bed. Heading over to her pack, she pulled out an old mead bottle she had filled with the special milk for the pup and the glove she uses to feed her, handing them to Altwen. "Here, this should be enough for her tonight." she said as the half-elf took the bottle. "Just pour it into the glove-"

"Yeah, I know Kitten." Altwen reassured. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her for ya. And by the way, that locket looks so pretty on you."

Ty'ani smiled at the woman, just as she heard footsteps coming toward the sleeping quarters. Looking to the entrance, Lydia rounded the corner, dressed in the leather doublet she had been wearing all day, only it looked slightly more presentable with the buckles gleaming and the leather clean. Even her sword sheath and pommel had been polished to a shine. Her hair was also neater, pulled back into a low pony-tail.

The Housecarl folded her hands behind her back, straightening her spine as she regarded the Khajiit. The look in her eyes suggested that she liked the way Ty'ani looked, so that may earn her some points up at the palace. "Are you ready, my Thane?" she asked.

"Almost." she replied, reaching down for her leg strap. Bunching up the skirt, she buckled it around her left thigh before sheathing her dagger. Looking up at Lydia, the woman nodded in approval as she dropped and smoothed down the skirt. "Now I am." the girl told her as she looked to Altwen. "Thank you again for looking after Ar'jenn, Altwen."

The huntress smiled at her. "Hey, no worries Kitten." she replied as she stood up, picking up the dire wolf pup as she did so and cradled her to her chest. "Come on, you best get goin' before your late."

Nodding as she collected her cloak, the three exited the living quarters together, making their way through the mead hall and out of Jorrvaskr. Once outside, the sky illuminated with the soft colours of the sunset, they stepped down into the Wind District before stopping before the Gildergreen, which leaves had completely shead for the winter and was coated with thick snow. Though despite it's bare branches, the tree still seemed very lively, which was in stark contrast of what it was like the first time Ty'ani had ever visited Whiterun.

Altwen glanced over at Ty'ani and Lydia with a smile, hugging her own cloak closer to herself to protect the wolf pup from the chill. "Well, you two have fun up there. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." at that, she turned on her heel and retreated down to the Plains District.

Watching the huntress go, Ty'ani exhaled nervously. Turning to Lydia, she bit her lip as they began the walk to the foot of the stairs leading to the Cloud District. "So," she began slowly. "You ever done anything like this before? Eating with the Jarl?"

"No." Lydia teresly replied.

Silence fell between the two of them after that, mainly because Ty'ani was so nervous about this event that she had no clue on what to say. She bunched up her skirt as they began to climb the stairs toward Dragonsreach's entrance, seeing the golden glow of candlelight through the palace windows. She also witnessed a few people nearer the top of the stairs, all of which were dressed in formal clothing. Clearly the nobles from the other major cities.

Soon enough, Ty'ani and Lydia reached the top, seeing the archway leading to the main doors were flanked by guards, each of which held a torch in preperation of the looming twilight. Upon approaching the large oaken doors, the guards there opened it for the two, allowing them passage. As they went through though, Ty'ani couldn't help but feel as if the sentinal guards had been judging her with each step she took. No doubt borne from their hatred of her kind, but since she had been named Thane they obviously didn't say anything.

In the entrance hall, Ty'ani and Lydia were immediately beset by the sight of a number of people within. It was clear which were the noble folk and which were servants, since the higher class were all clad in fine clothes. As they stepped further in, a young servant stepped over to them. "Thane of Whiterun," she began with a small kirtsey. "May I take your cloak?"

Unsure of what exactly she should reply with, Ty'ani bit her lip and unclapsed her cloak. "Erm, sure." she merely said as she handed it over, as did Lydia. As the servant scuttled away, Ty'ani took the time to glance around. Further up the stairs, she had noticed that the throne room looked much the same as it usually does, except that the area where the throne itself resides now had a long table before it. All of the dining tables only contained empty silver platters, plates, candle sticks with lit candles and goblets with large pitchers. All of the silverware around her alighted Ty'ani's theif instincts but she fought it down. The last thing she needed was to make a bad impression of herself and end up embarrassing the Jarl in front of all these nobles.

Climbing up the stairs, Ty'ani couldn't help but scent the air, finding a whole cocophany of smells. Venison. Fish. Fowl. Maybe boar. She wasn't quite sure what it all was, but it smelled absolutely divine.

Nervousness alighted through her again as many of the nobles around them stared at her, most with discontent in their eyes. As if sensing her anxiety, Lydia spoke to her in low tones. "Stay relaxed my Thane, keep your head high."

"All right." she whispered back, straightening her back some more and raising her head slightly. Her tail flicked from under the skirt to showcase her unease, but the material of the dress got in the way, restricting the tail's movements. This made Ty'ani grumble as she looked around some more. The throne room was filled with people she both recognised as nobles from this city and many others she didn't recognise, but there was no sight of the Jarl. His steward was stood dutifully at the foot of the throne, but Jarl Balgruuf was completely absent.

As she was about to turn and inquire to Lydia about that, that was when she was suddenly approached by a nobleman. "So, your the new Thane and Dragonborn, are you?" asked the elder man hauntily, looking down on her with a pair of sharp blue eyes. Studying this man, Ty'ani recognised him from one of the wealthy clans here in Whiterun. The Battle-Born clan clearly, since both Lydia and Haema told her that the Grey-Manes would be absent.

Clearing her throat, she tersely replied. "I am ser."

The man crossed his arms. "Hmph, not sure what he was thinking to bestow that title upon a _Khajiit_ of all things, but I'm not one to question my Jarl's judgement." he lowered his arms then, folding them behind his back. "So girl, tell me; you know who I am?"

Put on the spot, Ty'ani fought against wringing her hands together as she answered. "You are of clan Battle-Born?" she asked uneasily.

"Aye, that I am." he nodded. "Olfrid, patron of clan Battle-Born and second Thane of Whiterun. A name you should know well as the lastest Thane of our city."

 _Second_ Thane? Ty'ani wasn't even aware that there were more Thanes in this city, as she had never come across any before. At the same time though, Ty'ani figured that _of course_ Whiterun would have its own Thanes before she came along. But if this man before her was the second Thane, then that begged the question on who the first was, or if there were any more.

It was at that point that Lydia leaned toward Ty'ani, snapping the Khajiit out of her thoughts as the Housecarl spoke lowly to her. "My Thane, the Battle-Born clan is one of the oldest and riches clans in Whiterun. Their wealth is gained from owning Battle-Born farm."

Olfrid nodded his head once at the Housecarl's words. "That's right." he said as he locked gazes with Ty'ani once more. "Our lineage is an old and proud one, but unlike the Grey-Manes, our wealth stems from the hard labour of our farmers."

"I have heard your family and the Grey-Manes don't get along." Ty'ani exclaimed, deciding to ask Lydia about the other Thanes later.

Olfrid frowned at that. "Ah, my family will tell you that our friendship ended when the Grey-Manes pledged their alligence to the Stormcloaks, but I believe it had been strained for some time." he explained. "The Grey-Manes are jealous, you see. Jealous of our largely successful farm and our wealth. And Eorlund Grey-Mane is a stubborn old fool atop all that. Once he turned his back on the Empire, that loosened that last cog in the works, made my family realise what fools they truly are."

Ty'ani nodded outwardly, but in her mind she couldn't help but think how petty this man and his family must be. In fact in her opinon, the feud the two clans had with one another was a stupid one. As stupid as the civil war. She wasn't about to say that though, as she wanted to be polite to the noble men and women here and not insult them, so she kept her silence.

In the next second though, Olfrid spoke again. "In any case, I must move on. I wish to speak with Erikur before the feast begins."

Ty'ani bowed her head to him. "Of course ser, have a good evening."

Without a word, the patriarch walked away, leaving Ty'ani and Lydia alone once again. The Khajiit let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding when he left, very visibly relaxing. The brunette Nord patted her on the shoulder. "You did well." she told her.

"That was nerve-wracking." Ty'ani replied through clenched teeth, gazing around at the nobles around them. "I don't know if I can do this Lydia."

"You'll be fine." Lydia reassured her.

Ty'ani shrugged in response, not believing the woman's words at all. Letting out another sigh, Ty'ani glanced back at Lydia. "He said that he was the second Thane." she pointed out. "I didn't realise there were more Thanes in Whiterun."

"But of course." Lydia responded, her tone suggesting that this fact was the most obvious thing on Nirn. "There are currently four Thanes of Whiterun. The first Thane is Vignar Gray-Mane, the second of course is Olfrid Battle-Born. The third Thane is Haema and now you, being the latest."

That immediately caught Ty'ani's attention as her head snapped round to stare at Lydia in surprise. "Haema? Haema is the third Thane of Whiterun?"

Lydia nodded. "Of course she is. Haema is the Harbinger of the Companions, just as Kodlak Whitemane was before her, and he too was Thane of Whiterun. She was named Thane after his untimely death and her initiation."

This bit of news shocked the Khajiit greatly. She never had any idea that Haema was a Thane, and it just begged the question: why did the woman keep this from her?

She didn't have long to ponder on it though, as it was then at that point that Ty'ani spotted movement coming from the stairwell leading to the second floor. From it came four people, two of whom she instantly recognised as Irileth and Jarl Balgruuf. The Jarl was garbed in robes of crimson and black silks, of which was far more expensive than anything Ty'ani could buy. Steal yes, but not legitimately pay for. The Dunmer Housecarl was dressed in thick boiled leather armour, Whiterun's colours and sigil present upon it. The third person was a stone-face man armoured in a similar the fashion of the guards, with a golden cloak flowing down his shoulders fastened with silver clasps. Ty'ani remembered seeing this man before, when she did the job for Maven Black-Briar down at the late Honningbrew Meadery. He is the Commander of the city guard, though for the life of her she couldn't remember his name. The last person was a soldier, garbed in the armour of an Imperial Officer.

Ty'ani felt a stone drop in her stomach at this. What was the Legion doing here?

She strained her ears over the noise to catch the conversation between them. "Jarl Balgruuf," the legionnare said, his voice straining as if he was holding in his frustration. "I implore you to reconsider your decision. Whiterun is an important stronghold for either army and General Tullius believes your city to be better off in the hands of the Empire than the Stormcloaks."

"And I must once again decline." Balgruuf said, his tone suggesting he was losing his patience. "I have already told you I have no wish to be a part of this war. While I appreciate your General's wish to preserve the safety of my people and city, Whiterun will remain neutral. I will not be held responsible for the death of my people."

"If you do not accept our offer, you know that Ulfric will take your city by force." the legionnare insisted. "No matter how you look at it, your people shall end up suffering regardless of your decision."

It was at that point that Irileth stepped forward, a frown on her face. "That is enough." she demanded. "The Jarl has made his decision Lieutenant, I suggest you accept that and leave at once."

The soldier frowned but nodded none the less, pressing a fist to his breast. "Very well. But I urge you to reconsider Jarl Balgruuf, for your people's sake." at that, the legionnare turned on his heel and marched away.

As Ty'ani watched, the Jarl began massaging his forehead in obvious irritation, speaking in low tones to Irileth and the guard Commander. This sounded very worrying. If the Legion were pushing to take Whiterun, that meant that the war would begin to turn ugly very soon and then nowhere will be safe from its effects. Can't the Imperials and Stormcloaks see that Skyrim will be damaged enough by the dragons returning. Granted the beasts haven't attacked the land in force just yet, but she knew that it will happen sooner or later, and then no one will be safe.

She tuned to Lydia when she began to speak. "It seems the Legion are pushing for Balgruuf's support in the war."

Ty'ani nodded. "Yes, they are. But what I don't understand is why Balgruuf isn't accepting their help. Surely he knows that with the Legion's support, his city would be much safer."

"That may be true," Lydia replied. "But Whiterun has always been a neutral point of the province, and the Jarl cares for the well being of his people above all else and wishes not to drag them into this war."

Ty'ani bit her lip at that. She was about to comment further, but that was when the Jarl stepped further into the throne room, seeing that he had his eyes upon her. Taking a deep breath, she inclined her head to Lydia to follow and made her way to the foot of the throne. As the two stood before him, the Jarl smiled genuinely as they bowed their heads in respect and placed their fist on their breasts in a Nordic salute.

"We greet you, Jarl Balgruuf." Ty'ani incited, just as Lydia had been teaching her to do all day.

Balgruuf nodded his head. "You may be seated. Thane Ty'ani, you may sit at my right hand as my guest of honour."

The Khajiit obeyed immediately, pacing around the table. As she found her seat at the right of the throne, her ear twitched when she heard Lydia greet the guard Commander. "Commander Ciaus." she simply said.

"Leiutenant, or should I say Housecarl." he greeted back. "I once again congratulate you on your promotion. I hope you have been well."

"I have sir." she replied. Ty'ani mentally kicked herself for forgetting the man's name as Lydia soon seated at her right. As a thief, she made it a habit to remember the names of anyone in authority so it would be easier for her to avoid them. Or ruin their reputation. That she forgot this man's name suggested that she was slipping up, so she scolded herself for that.

Soon enough, due to the presence of the Jarl, the noise within the throne room began to quieten and the nobles moved to take their seats. Within moments, the tables were filled. Irileth sat to her Jarl's left, with Proventus to her left. Hrongar, Balgruuf's brother seated himself on Lydia's right with Commander Caius on his right. Olfrid Battle-Born, as the only other Thane of Whiterun currently present, took the last seat beside the guard Commander. Finally, the Jarl's three children took the remaining seats at the other side.

Once everyone was seated, Jarl Balgruuf raised his goblet as servents began rushing around to fill them all with wine. "Friends and aquantences of our sister cities, allow me to formally welcome you to Whiterun for our Solstice feast." he began with a loud and confident voice. "Let us all rise a goblet in celebration of this occasion, and that we may still find joy in these times of strife."

The nobles let out a single cheer after his speech, each raising their goblets before taking a drink. On her part, Ty'ani scrambled to take her goblet, instantly recognising the scent of a fruity wine inside. She bit her lip before taking a single sip, feeling aprehensive of drinking too much and becoming drunk. As the too rich wine slid down her throat, she wondered if she could get away with only drinking little bits at a time, or not even touching it at all.

Once all within had a hearty drink of their wine, the Jarl spoke again. "I would also wish to take this time to introduce Whiterun's newest Thane and Skyrim's hero." he then gestured to Ty'ani, asking her with his actions for her to stand. Feeling a strong bout of stage fright, Ty'ani's chest went cold as she slowly stood, folding her hands together nervously in front of her. "Dragonborn Ty'ani, whom was revealed to us at Whiterun's most vulnerable time. She single-handedly slew the first dragon seen in Skyrim since the first age, and we have her to thank for perserving the safety of this land from the dangers of the dragons."

Well, that was a misnomer, since all Ty'ani did was distract the first dragon while Haema dealt the final blow, but the Khajiit kept those thoughts to herself in respect to her Jarl. Instead, she bowed her head to the masses. "My lords and ladies." she simply said.

As she looked around, she could see many of the nobles had either disbelief, surprise or discontent in their expressions, as if they didn't believe that she was truly Dragonborn. To be fair though, Ty'ani could still hardly believe it herself, and it had been a few months for her.

Just before things had become more awkward, that was when Commander Caius rose from his seat. "I would also wish to thank the Dragonborn for her efforts. Many good, honest guardsmen have fallen due to the attacks of those flying lizards and her bravery in the face of danger is truly a force to be reckoned with." it was then that he glanced her way, his dark eyes boring into hers. "I hope that you shall share your knowledge of these beasts with us tonight, so that we may better defend ourselves against them."

"I will be happy to tell you what I know, Commander, but I am afrid it is not much." she replied truthfully.

"But any knowledge you have would be valuable to us regardless." the Jarl commented.

It was at that point that a line of servents emerged from the doorway leading to the kitchens, each baring platters, bowls and plates filled with different assortments of foods. At that point, the Jarl took his seat with a smile, Ty'ani and the Commander quickly following suit. "Ah good, the feast has arrived. My lords and ladies, my cooks have prepared the finest dishes for tonight." he exclaimed as the servents placed down the meals on all three of the tables. When the scent hit her nose, Ty'ani's stomach growled hungrily, eyeing up the fine looking dishes before her. Even Lydia, with her usually stoney expression, looked upon the feast with an equally hungry look.

Once the servants began to carve the meats, the Jarl rose his goblet. "Now we eat. To Skyrim!"

"To Skyrim!" the nobles, with Ty'ani and Lydia in tow, repeated enthusiastically before they all dug into the meal.

It took some amount of willpower on Ty'ani's part to keep herself from snatching up the nearest piece of food and stuffing it into her mouth. She had never seen or smelt anything so delicious in her life, having got by on plain or makeshift meals in the past and the most spices she ever had was only a pinch of salt. For a moment she felt jealousy toward the nobility for having such rich meals, however when she slipped a piece of boar meat into her mouth, her taste buds came alive with a whole slew of flavour and textures. Chewing it slowly, she couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the new sensation, not even sure if she liked the dozens of flavours hitting her tongue all at once.

Swallowing the morsel, she glanced over at Lydia, whom was taking her time with her meal as well, occationally reaching over the table to grab some more while talking with Hrongar. It appeared that the two of them knew each other pretty well, since their speech was not as formal she first imagined it would be. That aside, it was clear that Lydia knew how to handle herself at a dinner table, but the Khajiit could see that she too was fighting against grabbing and tearing into the food as well.

Looking around, she saw the other nobles digging in with either patience or enthusiasum. It was quite varied really. Either way, Ty'ani didn't want to embarrass her Jarl- or eat the meals too fast since she wan't even sure she could manage the hearty flavours- so she took her time with her food.

Soon enough though, the Jarl turned his attention to her. "Ty'ani, I have not had the proper opportunity to speak with you about your experiences with dragons." he began. "Tell me about them, and how many you have currently encountered."

Ty'ani quickly cleared her mouth, seeing the others at the table, as well as a few nearby nobles from the other tables, bring their attention to her. "I'm afraid I do not have a lot to tell you m'lord." she admitted. "I've only encounter three dragons and killed two, and I'm still learning myself on the best methods of killing them."

"I see." Balgruuf responded with a nod. "Either way, due to the fact you have killed two suggests you have some knowledge of their weaknesses."

Ty'ani bit her lip at that, her mind racing back to her last dragon encounter. "Well, one thing I have most definitely noticed is that their hide is too thick for most weapons to penetrate." she explained. "Most swords and arrows will simply glance off, especially on the scales upon it's back and sides. The under side is also protected, but I found that their scales are much softer under it's chin, as I've landed many solid blows there before. I've also managed to cause some damage to the divides between their scales, but I had to be very close for that."

"I see," Commander Caius commented. "Therefore, the only way to take them down is to get in close. That is extremely dangerous."

"Yes it is." Ty'ani replied with a nod. "That is why I would advice to _never_ take on a dragon by yourself. By attacking in a group, it would be easier to surround it and split it's focus. However, there is a danger to that as well, because they tend use their Thu'um quite regularly. On the way back to Whiterun, my companions and I were attacked by a dragon and we had attempted to attack it from all sides, but it used it's fire breath to keep us all at bay. It understood that we were surrounding it and acted in response."

"So," said Proventus next when she was finished. "You are saying that dragons have a semblence of intelligence?"

Ty'ani nodded in response. "They are highly intelligent, as we found out. Before it landed we had attempted to take shelter in the forest, believing that we would be safe. But the dragon simply set the forest on fire, knowing that it would force us out into the open."

"Gods." the Commander gasped. "Is there no other weaknesses on those beasts at all?"

Ty'ani glanced down at her plateful then, her mind racing. She really didn't know what to answer with, as even she was still learning on what weaknesses dragons had. The only reason she had managed to kill any at all was purely blind luck, and because Haema and the others was with her. It was at that point that a thought came to her, remembering the first dragon she killed. "I believe there is." she said at last. "A few actually. The softer hide between their scales and it's underside should be a definite target and yes they are difficult to reach, but not impossible. It's possible to goad the dragon to face you head on."

"Pray tell," Irileth asked sceptically. "How can that be possible?"

"Because," Ty'ani replied, confidently gazing toward the Housecarl. "I believe that a dragon's greatest weakness is it's pride."

"It's pride?" the Jarl asked.

Ty'ani nodded. "Yes. By my experiences, as few as they are, I've discovered that dragons have a tendency of landing and engaging us directly. And I don't believe it's because they tire of flying, but because they are too proud to stay back from a fight. They think themselves to be far more superior to us, believing that we will be felled easily by them. However, their pride only enables us the opportunity to disable their wings to keep them from flying. That is another weakness as well. If a dragon cannot fly, then it cannot get away."

"Making it much more easier to kill it." Caius finished with a look of approval. "But what weapons are the most effective?"

It was Lydia that answered then. "In our experiences, sir, we found that well forged weapons, or even two handed heavier weapons, can penetrate through the hide should you strike correctly."

"And broadhead arrows are the most effective to penetrate their scales." Ty'ani continued. "And bodkin points are best to get between the scales. Ice spells also effect them greatly, should you have mages with you."

"I see." the Jarl nodded his head once the girl was finished, rubbing his chin in thought. "We shall be sure to put good use to this knowledge and arm our men accordingly."

"If I could make a suggestion, my Jarl." Lydia spoke up, waiting for Balgruuf's nod before continuing. "I'd advise to use this knowledge to only keep the creatures at bay, as without Ty'ani to absorb the soul I believe the dragon will merely come back to life more vengeful then before."

The Jarl nodded in understanding. "Understandable. There is no telling what powers these creatures have at ther disposal. Therefore Commander, be sure to have your men used this knowledge to repel the beasts from our borders. Drive them back to the mountains if you can."

"Yes my Jarl." the guard Commander acknowledged with a nod.

"Now," Balgruuf continued. "Let us continue our feast."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

As the night continued and the feast ended, Ty'ani felt as though she had eaten a whole horse, rubbing her overly stuffed belly with a wince. She can't remember the last time she had eaten so much in her life. The meal had been the best she has ever had in her life, but she was never doing it again. It was far too easy to convince her body to intake more of the delicious food, despite it's protests. Not to mention that she was feeling a little light headed after drinking more wine than she had intitially wanted to.

Once the servants came by to empty the tables, the nobles began to stand from their seats and intermingle with one another, Ty'ani and Lydia among them. The Khajiit was immediately bombarded with questions about her experiences and her own thoughts of her Dragonborn abilities, as well as how they worked. She answered what she could, often times repeating herself and slowly becoming overwhelmed by the bodies surrounding her. Not only that, but she also felt quite offended when some nobles blatantly insulted her, forcing herself not to become infuriated with the racist comments.

Eventually though, the nobles seemed to be satisfied with her answers and left her alone for the most part. That gave her the opportunity to glance over toward the throne, noticing that the Jarl hadn't moved from his seat. Seeing that he had a lot on his mind, Ty'ani escaped from the crowd, leaving behind Lydia, and approached him with a look of concern. "My Jarl, are you alright?" she asked quietly.

Glancing up, the Jarl's misty eyes cleared as though he was suddenly returning from a place where she could never follow. Straightening his back and clearing his throat, he replied. "Ah, yes. Thank you for your concern." after that though, his gaze lowered again, his lips pursing together. "Well, truthfully I had hoped to speak with you. Come, walk with me." he told her, rising from his seat and leading her toward the stairwell to the second floor.

Feeling her concern increasing, Ty'ani followed behind Whiterun's leader obediently while her own mind raced. Something must be going on if the Jarl was seeking solitude to simply talk with her. Honestly, Ty'ani wasn't even sure what she could say or what advice she could give, as she was vastly less educated than he is.

Reaching the war room at the top of the stairs, the Jarl paced over to the table, where a large map of Skyrim sat with many blue and red flags posted in random locations on it. At least to Ty'ani's eyes. The Nord man leant his palms on the tabletop, studying the map with tired eyes.

Ty'ani stopped a few feet away from the Jarl, folding her hands in front of her, waiting for Balgruuf to break the silence. At last, the man beckoned her to come closer. Obeying, she stepped up to his side which allowed him to place a hand on her small shoulder. He then gestured to the table, speaking in a low voice. "Look here, Dragonborn, and tell me what you see."

Not quite sure where the Jarl was going with this, Ty'ani studied the map. Even though she couldn't read the writing upon it, she still recognised many of the landmarks, such as the Throat of the World. From there, she located Whiterun, Ivarstead, Riften and all of the major cities that she had already been to. All throughout the map, there were red and blue flags with larger flags of the respective colours on Windhelm and Solitude. She eventually figured out that she was looking at army outposts.

Looking up at the Jarl, she spoke up. "It's a map of the Imperial and Stormcloak positions?" at the Jarl's nod, she continued. "But, there aren't any near Whiterun."

"Precisely." Balgruuf said. "And do you know why that is?"

Ty'ani shook her head, answering truthfully. "No m'lord."

"It is because I have fought to keep my Hold as neutral as possible in this forsaken war." he told her. "I fight day and night to repel the bloodshed from entering my borders, turning away both the Legion and the Stormcloaks when they seek my alligence, all in an effort not to drag my people into the conflict."

Understanding dawning on her, Ty'ani spoke again as she studied the map for a second time. "Is that why that Imperial soldier was here? To get you to join a side in the war?"

"Yes he was."

Ty'ani frowned at that. "If I may then, my Jarl, why is it that you decline? Surely if you choose a side in this war, wouldn't your people be better off for it?"

"That may be." he replied, removing his hand from her shoulder and taking a step back. Ty'ani watched him as he folded his hands behind his back. "However, you must understand that as a leader, it is up to you to make the hard decisions and those decisions may end up getting many people killed. The Stormcloaks and Imperials seek a foothold in my Hold to gain an advantage over the other, but in the centre of it all is the innocent people caught in the cross fire. While I have the power to prevent innocent deaths, then I will continue to do so, even if that means I refuse protection."

He stared directly into her eyes then. "It is the same with you. As Dragonborn, you have the power to most definitely turn the tide of the war. When the leaders learn of you- and they will- you will have demands to join both sides and you will have the choice to fight in the war, or refuse."

Ty'ani's chest tightened at that, not at all liking what she was hearing. This was precisely the reason why she didn't want to be a hero- or a leader for that matter- in the first place. She couldn't stand the thought that so many people would be depending on her to protect them. She dropped her head, sighing as she studied the floor below them. "Truthfully my Jarl," she said lowly. "That is precisely the reason I didn't want to be Dragonborn in the first place."

Balgruuf's brows rose at the truthful statement. "Oh?"

Looking up at him, the white Khajiit elaborated. "Having that many lives counting on me to save them, it feels as though the weight of the world is crushing down on my shoulders. I feel as though I cannot make those hard decisions, that I will end up getting hundreds of people killed should anyone, be they dragon or man, discover my abilities." she turned away then, pacing toward a nearby pillar and leaning heavily against it. "Even the Greybeards told me that my power should never be abused and should only be used for the worship of the Gods. But I do not even know if my Voice will end up helping others or hurting them."

The Jarl nodded, pacing over to her. "Ah, I believe I see where you are coming from." he told her, placing a hand on her shoulder once more, bringing her attention to him again. "Your Voice is a powerful thing, and you may believe that it will only be used as a tool of destruction. I shall say that yes, it may well be used as such, but only if you allow it."

"What do you mean?" Ty'ani inquired.

"Your power is no different to a sword Ty'ani," he explained. "You can choose to pick up the sword and use it if you so wish, but you can also keep the sword on the ground and find a different solution to find peace."

"But unlike a sword, I cannot put down this power." she retaliated.

"True, but you can choose not to use it. Just the same as you can choose a side in the war or not, or I choosing to remain neutral." he told her logically. "There is power in choice, Dragonborn, and you have much more than you believe."

Ty'ani blinked at that, surprised at the Jarl's words of wisdom. It certainly opened her mind up to many other options and helped her see the choices she has before her. She smiled. "I think I understand." she said. "I can choose to fight, or choose to create a new solution to a problem, or find my own path."

The Jarl nodded. "Yes. Remeber that when you feel lost, Dragonborn."

Her smile widened, bowing her head to him. "Thank you Jarl Balgruuf, you've certainly given me a lot to think about."

"My pleasure, Dragonborn Ty'ani. Now, the evening is drawing to a close, you may leave if you so wish to join the festivities at the market." he announced. "I trust you found the meal tonight enjoyable."

"It was the finest I have had, my lord." Ty'ani replied in a pleasant tone.

"Good to hear. Know that your presence here was a pleasure tonight. May the blessings of Kyne be with you, as well as your comrades."

Ty'ani bowed in response. "To you as well, my Jarl." shortly after, Ty'ani turned and retreated back down the steps to the throne room. It didn't take her long to find Lydia, as the woman was leaning against the wall near the steps. Her head snapped up when the Khajiit paced over to her, pushing off the wall to greet her. "My Thane, is everything alright?"

The girl nodded in response. "Yes, everything's fine. But I think we've mingled enough, so let us leave while we can."

"Right behind you." the brunette replied.

The two swiftly made their way to the entrance, retrieving their cloaks on the way out. They made their way back down the steps to the Wind District, which was slightly more difficult for Lydia especially, since it had gotten much darker while they were in the palace. Ty'ani could see just fine due to her natural night vision, but even she could admit that the cloudy night was a dark one.

"So," Lydia said once they reached the last step, the two hearing the sound of music from the district below them, as well as a number of party-goers. "What are the plans now? The night is still young after all."

"I might head back to Jorrvaskr for a moment to get out of this dress." Ty'ani answered, earning a light chuckle from the Nord. "After that, I think we'll head to the Bannered Mare and try to find Altwen, make sure she hasn't lost Ar'jenn."

"Fair enough." the Housecarl nodded, following behind the small Khajiit as she made her way up the steps to the meadhall.

As Ty'ani reached the top step however, that was when she suddenly got a strange feeling, like a tingle on the back of her neck which made her fur stand up on end. It was like something, or someone, was watching her. Frowning, she pivoted her head around, studying the district below her. From her scrutany, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, only the occational citizen and the patrolling guards. But she could have sworn that she was being watched.

Noticing that her Thane had stopped, Lydia paused in her step as well, looking at the girl with a concerned expression. "What is it?"

Darting her sapphire orbs around some more, Ty'ani replied. "I'm not sure. It feels like I'm being watched."

Brows furrowing, Lydia turned around to study the streets below as well, though everything seemed to be in place to her. Turning back to the Khajiit, Lydia's frown deepened. "Are you sure? Everything seems fine to me."

The girl looked her Housecarl in the eye before replying. "Yes. My instincts are telling me that someone is watching me, and they have never been wrong before."

"Well, even if there was someone acting suspiciously tonight, the guards would notice." Lydia reassured. "You've got nothing to be worried about."

Ty'ani bit her lip, turning away from the sight of the streets, beginning to walk into Jorrvaskr. "I suppose." she simply said. But still she felt tense. If someone out there intended ill toward her, then she was going to make sure not to let her guard down, as the last thing she wanted was to be caught unawares.

With that in mind, she followed her Housecarl into Jorrvaskr, still feeling the tingling feeling on the back of her neck.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

 _Jeez, done finally. I'm so sorry for the delay guys, ran into a major case of writer's block. I knew that would catch up with me at some point._

 _ **Edit:** Just added a tiny little detail when Ty'ani was thinking about what clothes she has for the party. It will all be revealed in a few chapters._


	12. In My Time of Need

**4E 201  
29th of Evening Star**

"Ar'jenn!"

Aela and Torvar both snapped their heads up upon hearing the call, seeing the form of Ty'ani emerging from the living quarters of Jorrvaskr. The poor girl seemed to be in a panic, as she snapped her gaze around the meadhall in a searching manner. Upon spotting the two of them, the white Khajiit made her way over.

"Everything alright, Ty'ani?" Aela asked her once she was before them.

"Not really." she responded with a shake of her head. "I've lost Ar'jenn. Have either of you seen her at all?"

To the girl's dismay, both Nords shook their heads in a negative. "Sorry Ty'ani, haven't seen her all day." Aela responded apologetically.

The two watched the Khajiit's shoulders drop, pivoting on the balls of one foot as she threw her hands in the air while she marched away. "Oh, Ar'jenn!" she groaned, grabbing a nearby cloak from one of the chairs- which was clearly not hers since it buried her- and stomped out the back doors.

Huffing in amusement as he returned to his drink, Torvar spoke up once the Khajiit disappeared. "Heh, sounds like that dog o' hers is in trouble."

Outside, Ty'ani stepped down from under the awning, ignoring the sparring match going on between Vilkas and Ria in the snowy courtyard, darting her sapphire eyes around the area in search of her wayward dire wolf. "Ar'jenn!" she called out again, gaining the attention of some of the nearby Companions. "AR'JENN!"

At last, her ears perked up when she heard the sound of a cute bark. She pivoted around just in time to see a small white furred mass leap at her, two paws hitting her square in the gut, making her grunt. Once the form of her dire wolf pup registered in her mind, Ty'ani smiled, kneeling down to allow the wolf to mount her knees and reach up to lick her face.

"There you are." Ty'ani said between licks, rubbing the soft fur of the wolf's sides as the puppy wagged her tail uncontrollably. "I've been looking everywhere for you Ar'jenn, where have you been?"

"That might be my fault." came the voice of Haema, followed by a couple of footfalls. Looking up, Ty'ani first noticed two little girls running up toward her and Ar'jenn, yelling out to gain the wolf's attention. Following that, once Ar'jenn got off her and back on all four paws, the Khajiit spotted Haema walking over to them, looking fairly sheepish. "Sorry Ty'ani, the girls followed me here to see Ar'jenn this morning and took her out to play. I would have warned you when you came back, but I had to keep my eye on them."

Sighing, Ty'ani soon replied. "That's all right Haema, as long as I know Ar'jenn is okay." she glanced over at the two girls, each yelling out in joy as the dire wolf played with them, barking occasionally as they darted around in the snow. Feeling bad for having to ruin the girl's fun, Ty'ani whistled for the dire wolf, clicking to her side. "Ar'jenn, come." she commanded.

At first, the pup ignored her but after two more commands, the wolf darted over to her side before ducking down on her front legs with her rear end up in the air, her bushy tail wagging as she panted happily. The girls moaned at that, but were quickly silenced by their mother. "That's enough now, you two. You both had more then enough fun with Ar'jenn, but it is time for you to go home and do your chores."

"Aww, mama!" moaned the eldest while the youngest groaned.

"None of that from you, Rey." the Nord woman demanded. "You and Hilde go on home, and I expect you both to be done by the time your father and I return."

Hilde and Rey both lowered their heads, sighing as they relented to their mother's wishes. "Yes mama." they both said before scurrying off.

Once they disappeared, Haema turned back round, shaking her head with a sigh as she did so. "Those two, honestly. You'd swear that I am mistakingly raising a Jarl's children with the way they behave sometimes."

Ty'ani shrugged. "I wouldn't really know. I don't often spend time with children."

"Well, trust me when I say never have more than one, if you can help it. One is a handful enough but three..." Haema shook her head as she said that, not needing to say anymore since the messege was quite clear.

Biting her lip, Ty'ani nodded but she silently protested to most of Haema's words. There would be no way she would get any children herself in the forseeable future. Not only due to the fact that she's naturally suspicious of people she doesn't know, which makes her somewhat of a social outcast, but the fact that she's never even _kissed_ a man before shows that she'll never take the steps to even make children in the first place.

Clearing her throat, she glanced up to the larger woman as Ar'jenn bunted her head into her hand, forcing the Khajiit to stroke her. Ever since she found out about Haema's status as Thane and called her out on it days ago, Haema had been fairly apologetic toward the young Khajiit, and a little embarrassed. It turned out that the reason Haema had never told her about her status, was because she felt that she would intimidate people with her connections to the Jarl. Of course, Ty'ani told her that was ridiculous but Haema still insisted that she not tell any of the others, as the last thing she wanted was to be treated differently.

Snapping out of her musings, Ty'ani shook her head as she addressed the Nord woman. "Anyway, I need to do some more training with Ar'jenn. Before I go, do you know where anyone else is?"

Haema pursed her lips in thought before she responded. "Last I saw, Lydia headed up to Dragonsreach, most likely to speak with Hrongar. As for Alasse and Altwen, I've not seen them since breakfast."

Frowning, Ty'ani hummed suspiciously, wondering what those two were up to. She would have thought that Alasse would be with Farengar, but if that's not the case... "Well," she said as she moved to return inside Jorrvaskr. "If you happen to see Altwen, would you mind telling her to met me inside? I'll be needing her input on Ar'jenn's training."

"Of course." Haema nodded, watching the young Khajiit walk inside the meadhall with the wolf pup on her heels, smiling in amusement when Ar'jenn bounced up at Ty'ani with little barks every two steps or so.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Walking down from the Drunken Huntsmen, Altwen pulled her shawl tighter over her body as the cold hit her. Since it had snowed quite heavily recently, it had put a damper on her love for the outdoors. Not that she hated the snow but the blizzards have been getting worse, making it difficult for her to pass by the time with hunts. Not to mention much game nowadays have retreated into hibernation or migrated south, making finding anything near impossible.

As a result, finding something for herself to do had become her current past-time.

Having said that, there was one other thing that she enjoyed doing. Upon spotting Alasse walk down the steps near the guard house, she grinned, thinking to herself that maybe she could have a little fun today. With that in mind, she darted over to the high-elf before she reached the bottom step.

"Hey Ice Queen." she remarked cheerfully, snapping the woman's attention to her instantly and causing her to stop in her tracks. Upon seeing who it was, Alasse let out a inaudible groan, rolling her acid green eyes.

"By the Eight, what is it now?" she snapped unkindly.

Altwen shrugged in response. "I'm bored. Care to walk and talk?"

"No, I do not." she simply replied, crossing her arms.

Groaning, Altwen swiftly stepped in front of the Altmer before she had the chance to continue down the rest of the stairs. "Oh come on, I'm losin' my mind here. Help a fellow woman out, would ya?"

Alasse angled her head so her eyes were more clearly shown to the half-elf from under her blue hood, showing the discontent in the orbs. "I have as much wish to speak with you as I do with a Hagraven."

Altwen frowned at that. "Ouch. You hurt me with your cruel cruel words." she empathised this by holding her hands on the left side of her chest, where her heart is, as if she were in pain. Sighing, Alasse stepped around the huntress, continuing down the stairs. She wasn't free from the woman though, as she quickly stepped down to walk at her side. "Come on, indulge me a little, would ya?" Altwen pressed. "Tell me about what you've been up to. Any new notes? Or maybe you've made new friends around here?"

"What is currently happening in my private life is none of your concern." Alasse retorted, her frown deepening.

"By the Divines, you're impossible to talk to." Altwen muttered. As she was about to say more however, that was when she noticed some commotion going on near the city gates. From the look of it, a city guardsmen was arguing with two foreign looking warriors. From the dark tone of their skin, it was clear the two of them were Redguards and judging from the armour and curved swords under the fur cloaks, they appear to be Alik'r warriors. She nudged Alasse's arm with an elbow to get her attention, pointing toward the group. "Hey, what's goin' on over there?"

Looking over and upon seeing the Alik'r warriors, Alasse frowned. "I am uncertain. It is not often Alik'r warriors are seen in these parts."

Taking the Altmer woman's comment in stride, Altwen strained her ears to listen in.

"Look," said the guardsman, his tone full of irritation. "You've already been told you're not allowed here. Turn around and go back the way you came."

One of the Redguards frowned, crossing his arms. "We're causing no trouble. All we ask is to look for her."

However, the guard was clearly having none of it, waving a hand at the two as if he could blow them out the gates with the gesture. "I don't care what you're doing, after what happened you're lucky I don't toss you in jail. Now get lost." at that, the guardsmen turned and walked away, clearly showing that the conversation was over. Even still, the Redguard scowled at the man's back, his voice dripping with venom when he spoke again.

"We will be back. This is not over." it was then that he happened to look over to their direction, spotting herself and Alasse looking their way. Glancing one last time at the guard, he waved them over. "You there, come here!"

The two women looked at each other uncertainly, not at all liking where this could potentially go. Shugging though, Altwen walked over to stand before the Alik'r warriors. "Yes?" she acknowledged with hands on her hips.

It didn't take long for the man to get to the point. "We are looking for someone in Whiterun, and will pay good money for information."

Frowning at the vagueness, Altwen answered. "All right. Who're you lookin' for?"

"A woman-" the Redguard man answered. "A foreigner in these lands. Redguard, like us. She is likely not using her true name. We will pay for any information regarding her location. We are not welcome here in Whiterun, so we will be in Rorikstead if you learn anything."

"Riiight." Altwen said suspiciously at length, removing her hands from her hips before crossing her arms. "So, why exactly are you lookin' for this person?"

The man frowned at her in turn. "It's none of your concern. All you need to know is that we're paying for information. If that doesn't interest you, feel free to walk away."

"Maybe I will then." the huntress retorted. "I'm not a mercenary for hire, and I'm not gonna be bribed into doin' any jobs for you. So you go ahead and find someone else. I wish ya luck." after saying her piece- albeit in a sarcastic tone- the half-elf turned on her heel and marched away, hearing the Redguard huff and turn to exit through the city gates with his partner. Hearing the gates close, she stopped and turned to Alasse, a frown on her face. "Hey, I dunno if it was just me, but that sounded real suspicious."

"Indeed." Alasse agreed with a small nod before turning her gaze to Altwen. "What is it you intend to do?"

"I'm thinkin' I'm gonna find the woman they're lookin' for," Altwen responded. "And find out exactly what's goin' on." as the woman began to march further into the city, she paused in her step and glanced at Alasse. "You comin'?"

Sighing, Alasse stepped up to Altwen's side. "If I must. I will admit that this has captured my attention, so let us get to the bottom of this."

"All right." Altwen exclaimed with a wide smile. "How's about we start at the market? I see a few Redguard women around there all the time."

"It is the logical place to start." Alasse nodded. After that, the two made their way to the market quickly finding that despite the cold weather, there were still a lot of shoppers going around the stands and browsing through the produce and products.

They had found a few Redguard women among the crowd, but upon asking if they knew about the Alik'r warriors, all they received in return were ignorance toward the fact. Upon the third woman telling them that she knew nothing, Alasse frowned. "This is getting us nowhere."

"Well, we gotta keep tryin'." Altwen told her. "Who knows what those Alik'r wanna do to this woman if they find her, so we gotta make sure that she's not a guilty party."

"I understand that, but it will be futile if she is not even here." Alasse pointed out.

"True. But we still gotta try, so let's head to the Bannered Mare next."

Nodding at the suggestion, Alasse followed the half-elf toward the Inn. Inside the warm interior, they let out a sigh of relief each now they were out of the frigid air. Looking around, it became obvious that the breakroom was quite empty, since only a few people sat at the tables either nursing drinks or eating food. It wouldn't last long though, since the mid-day rush would be starting at any moment so they took advantage of the slow time by searching for the only Redguard woman that works here.

Finding her walking toward the kitchens with a broom in her hand, Altwen immediately headed over toward her, leaving Alasse to catch up. "Saadia!" the half-elf called out, bringing the barmaid's attention to her.

"Altwen." she greeted, lowering the broom to her side. "A little early for you to begin drinking, don't you think?"

Altwen smiled widely, shaking her head as she let out a laugh. "Nah, it's never too early to have a good drink."

The corner of Saadia's lips rose in response of that, shaking her own head. "Just like a true Nord." she muttered. "So, what can I do for you then?"

"Well, nothing as fun as drinkin' I'm afraid." Altwen warned. "There's some Alik'r warriors out there lookin' for a Redguard woman. Was wonderin' if you knew anythin' about that?"

Saadia's eyes widened in shock at that, her whole body tensing. "Are you sure? Oh no! They've found me?" seeing her tension, Alasse and Altwen stared at the woman in confusion and suspicion. Saadia glanced at the two of them with a pleading look. "I need your help! Please, come with me. I must to speak to both of you privately." upon finishing her sentence, the Redguard barmaid marched straight for the kitchens, not even looking to see if the high-elf and half-elf were following her. In response, the two exchanged an incredilous look each but they both still went to follow.

However, before Altwen even made it to the kitchen entrance, that was when something caught her attention. Glancing over to the table by the entrance, she spotted two men dressed in plain clothing and hoods packing their belongings and beginning to leave the Inn. Usually something such as this would never really make Altwen give a second glance, but the thing that did was the dog that was with the two men.

It was a handsome white husky with dark grey spanning it's back, and looked very familiar to the half-elf. Cocking a suspicious brow, she spotted that one of the men happened to glance up and look in her direction. From under his hood, she saw a nicely chiselled chin sporting a dark mahogany goatee and moustache. Yet again, that looked extremely familiar to her.

Upon him seeing that she was looking their way, the man lowered his head and followed after his companion and his dog hastily, which caused alarm bells to go off in Altwen's mind. But as she was about to follow after them, that was when Alasse's voice echoed out to her. "Are you not coming?" she asked testily.

Surprised, Altwen glanced over to the high-elf briefly before snapping back to the entrance, discovering that both men were gone as if neither of them had existed in the first place. She was tempted to run off after them with no explaination to Alasse, but she still had a mission to finish. Therefore, with a huff, she looked back to the Altmer and nodded her head with a grunt, following her through the kitchens quickly to catch up with Saadia.

The Redguard barmaid disposed of her broom into a random corner in the kitchen, heading up the stairs leading to the owners rooms. Upon entering her own and letting Altwen and Alasse in after her, Saadia immediately slammed the door and drew a knife from her hip, pointing it at the two with a determined look. "So, are you working with them?" she demanded venomously. "You think you can take me? Either of you so much as touch me, and you're going to lose fingers. I mean it! I'll... I'll cut you in half!" she waved the weapon higher in front of her dangerously.

"Woah woah, hold on there!" Altwen yelled, holding her hands up so Saadia could see she wasn't going for her own weapons. "We're not gonna hurt ya. Put that down before you hurt yourself."

Scowling at them, as if she didn't believe a word the half-elf said, Saadia continued her line of questioning. "So the Alik'r know where I am? What did they offer you? Gold? How many more of them are coming?"

"We do not know." Alasse interjected. "I tell the truth when I say that we know as much about this situation as you do, if even less. But I promise, upon the Divines themselves, that we are not here to harm you."

Sighing in what the two assumed was relief, but it was clear that she was still wary, Saadia lowered her knife. "Then I need your help. There isn't anyone I can trust here in the city."

"But you can trust us?" Altwen pointed out.

Saadia narrowed her eyes. "Desperate times call for desperate measures." she explained before getting to the point. "I am not the person that the people of Whiterun think I am. My real name is Iman. I am a noble of House Suda in Hammerfell. The men who are looking for me, the Alik'r, they are assassins in the employ of the Aldmeri Dominion. They wish to exchange my blood for gold. I need you to root them out and drive them away before they find me and drag me back to Hammerfell for an exectution."

Altwen rolled her eyes at the revelation, not at all surprised. Of course the Thalmor were behind this, they always tend to have their fingers in everyone elses pies.

Alasse on the other hand was livid. It was like no matter where she went, the Thalmor was always close behind. First when she was young and then in the College of Winterhold. She just cannot get away. Either way, she didn't allow her discontent to show on her face, looking Saadia- or Iman, evidently- in the eye as she spoke. "So, what is it you expect us to do? How are we to be rid of these men?"

"They're mercenaries," Iman explained as she sheathed her knife. "Only in it for the money. They're lead by a man named Kematu. Get rid of him, and the rest will scatter. I don't dare show my face, lest they recognise me, so you will have to find out where they are."

"Fair enough." Altwen nodded. "Any suggestions on where to start?"

Iman pursed her lips for a moment, until she answered. "I heard one of them was just arrested for trying to sneak into the city. If he's locked up in the jail, perhaps you can get it out of him." she gazed at them both pleadingly then. "Please, I know I'm asking you to do something difficult, maybe even dangerous. I just don't know who else I can trust."

"But why are you willing to put your trust in two complete strangers?" Alasse questioned. "Would it not have been easier and more beneficial to go to the city guard for help?"

Iman frowned at that suggestion. "You think I'd be hiding if this was something I trusted town guards to handle?" she protested. "These men are ruthless. Cunning, deceitful... they'll pay off whoever they can. I can't trust anyone here in Whiterun. Guards and Jarl's can be bought and the Alik'r are close; I'm running out of time, so I'm choosing to trust the two of you."

Alasse frowned in turn. "That seems... fair, if a little arbitrary. Would you mind telling us exactly why the Alik'r are after you before we leave?"

"I don't know for sure." Iman answered honestly with a sigh. "I spoke out against the Aldmeri Dominion publicly; I suspect that's why these men were hired to hunt me down."

Altwen let out a bitter laugh at that. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Trust me though, the Dominion find reasons of executin' people for things more stupid than just speakin' against them."

Alasse turned her gaze to Altwen when she said that, an inquiring frown on her face. "I am to assume you have had encounters with the Thalmor in the past?"

Altwen glanced back at Alasse in turn, cocking a brow before gesturing at her own head, where her ears are located under her hood. The high-elf immediately understood, knowing that the woman was referring to her half-elven status. The Thalmor make insurmountable effort to purge half-elves, in the attempt to sustain the purity of the elven bloodlines. In fact, she was certain that they would have attempted a genocide against the Bretons since they were originally inherited from elven blood. If the Bretons weren't considered a well established race to the people of Nirn, and if such a move didn't threaten their status and exsistance, than the Thalmor would have most certainly done it.

Either way, Alasse didn't linger on those thoughts for long as Altwen walked over to Iman and patted her shoulder. "We'll get them off your back for ya, I promise you that."

"Thank you." Iman said with a grateful look as she sat on a nearby chair. "Find me the moment the Alik'r are taken care of."

With nothing else to say, Altwen and Alasse left the room and made their way down the stairs, heading back to the breakroom through the kitchen. Once there, they each turned to look at the other. For a split second, Altwen had the idea of telling Alasse about the two men but decided against it. They currently had enough on their plates to deal with at the moment, so she made no mention of it.

"Well," Altwen finally said after a pause. "Looks like we're in deep now."

"So it would seem." Alasse answered lowly. "What are your thoughts on this then? Do you wish to tell the Alik'r of her or persue this Kematu?"

"Er, persue Kematu of course." Altwen answered with no hesitation. "In no way am I ever gonna help out the Thalmor, even if it is indirectly. You can go and do your own thing if you want, but if you go off and tell them..."

Alasse held up her hand to interrupt her. "Do not jump to conclusions. Like yourself I have no love for the Dominion and would wish nothing more than for their presence on Nirn to deminish. If you should recall, I once told you all that I had killed a Justicar in the past, therefore I am no sympathiser."

"Well, good." Altwen nodded, inclining her head to the exit shortly after. "Shall we go and visit the prisoner then?"

Alasse nodded as well. "Yes, I will accompany you." and so the two exited the Bannered Mare, heading up through the districts to Dragonsreach.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

Upon reaching the palace, Altwen and Alasse immediately headed toward the pathway that lead to the back, where the entrance to the jail resided. In the entryway, the first thing they came across was a well lit desk with a watchmen seated at it, scribbling on parchments before him. When they stepped closer to him, he snapped up his helemted head and regarded the two women with a scrutinising look.

"Can I help either of you?" he asked politely, though it was clear that he had no patience for their presence.

Altwen stepped forward. "Yes, I was just wonderin' if we could speak with a prisoner, just for a quick chat."

"What for?" the guard asked suspiciously.

"Well, that's for us to know and for him to find out, isn't it?" the half-elf retorted. Alasse frowned, nudging the woman with an elbow as she too stepped forward.

"I apologise for my aquaitance." she said, her tone polite. "We merely wish to speak with the prisoner in regards to a matter of urgency, and his information could be crucial for us."

The guard just sighed, lowering his head to stare back at the papers on his desk as he waved a hand. "Fine fine, but know that we'll be keeping an eye on you two."

"Thank you." Alasse bowed her head before she, with Altwen behind her, entered the hallway that kept the prison cells. The half-elf huntress jogged to be at her side, glancing at her with a cocked brow.

"You really know how to handle yourself, don't ya?"

Giving the woman a sideways glance, Alasse responded tersely. "Sometimes, it pays to be polite." leaving it at that, the Altmer strode further into the hallway, scanning each of the cells on her way.

Soon enough, they came across a cell that contained a Redguard man that was garbed in the same fashion as the other Alik'r warriors. Upon him seeing them looking into his prison, the man stood from the stool he was sat on and strode up to the cell door, glaring at them. "What are you looking at?" he demanded.

Alasse narrowed her eyes at him, getting straight to the point. "We are in search of Kematu."

The Alik'r frowned at her, as if she had just grown two heads. "You have a death wish, then? If you know that name, you must know to meet him would be to meet your end."

"Clearly not." Altwen intervened. "Cus I'm pretty sure we've faced more scarier things than a man with a fancy sword."

Sending a glare at the woman to silence her, Alasse soon returned her gaze to the Redguard and continued her questioning. "Where is he hiding?"

The man in turn sighed. "If you are that adiment on finding him, then no words I will say will stop you. But, it seems we both have needs, friend. Perhaps we can help each other out."

Not at all liking where this could be going, Alasse relented reluctantly. "Very well, what is it you need?"

"I have dishonoured my brothers by being captured," the Alik'r explained. "And so they have left me here. My life with the Alik'r is over now, but I have no wish to die in this gods-forsaken land. If I can be released from prison, I may start over. See to that, and I'll tell you what you want to know."

Altwen groaned at that. "Gods sake, it's always something isn't it. Just once, I'd like to hear someone say: 'Sure, why not, here's what you need to know! No strings attatched!'"

Glaring at the half-elf once more, Alasse sighed when she turned back to the Redguard. "How much is it to pay your fine?" she asked.

"One-hundred gold will secure my release." he told her, cocking a brow as he did so. "You can afford that, can't you? I suppose you'd better hope you can, if you want the information. Get the money into the hands of one of these guards, and I'll tell you what you want to know." he turned away then, clearly not going to acknowledge them further until they do as he asks.

Feeling more than a little annoyed as his presumtion, Altwen growled as the two backed away from the cell. "Gods damn little fuckin' scoundrel!" she hissed.

Frowning at the woman's language, Alasse spoke to her in a scolding tone. "That is enough."

Altwen merely sighed before speaking again. "So, you got enough on you?"

"I have enough to pay the fine," Alasse told her without even looking in her satchel. "But not enough to pay for any more nights at the Inn. Or meals for that matter."

"Well, tits." Altwen swore, grabbing her own coin purse from her belt. Opening it and tallying the amount she has left, she bit her lip. "Well, I got about sixty gold in here, so how's about we split it half and half? You never know, we might get some more coin when we take out Kematu, who know how much he's got in his pockets."

"That's... true." Alasse said slowly, obviously unhappy with the suggestion of taking a more-than-likely-soon-to-be-dead-man's gold. Either way, she agreed to Altwen's suggestion of splitting the payment, both of them emptying fifty gold each into a spare purse before they returned to the guard at the desk. When he looked up to see them standing there, they saw him roll his eyes from through the eye slits of his helm.

"What is it now?" he inquired irritably.

Presenting the coin purse before dropping it on the desk, Alasse answered. "We wish to pay off the Redguard prisoner's fine."

Staring first at the purse and then the women, the guard nodded as he took the pouch. "Done." he replied simply before leveling them with a look. "Convince him to stay out of the city while your at it."

With that done, Altwen and Alasse returned to the Redguard's cell. Upon him seeing them return, he stood from his stool and walked to the cell door. "Is it done?" he asked.

"Yeah, your fine's been paid off." Altwen told him with irritation evident in her tone. "Now tell us about Kematu."

"Very well." he said before beginning. "Kematu is west of Whiterun, in an unassuming little cave called Swindler's Den. You realise if you set foot in there, you're never coming back out. They'll kill you both. But that's your problem, not mine."

"Oh, don't worry," Altwen 'reassured'. "We do this sort of thing all the time, so we'll be fine. Just make sure that when we come back that we don't see you again, you hear me?" without waiting for a response, the annoyed half-elf turned and stomped away. After letting out a sigh, Alasse followed after her. On their way out, she caught the man calling out to the guard to release him. She didn't hear much else as they both exited the way they came and back out into the cold.

Making their way back down from the Cloud District, Alasse turned to the other woman. "Do you know of this Swindler's Den?"

"I've heard of it," the huntress answered. "But never been there. As far as I know, the place is a few miles west of the city and is completely choker with bandits. So if the Alik'r are there, it's likely that they've either killed the bandits or paid them off. I'll assume the latter, make it harder for enemies to get to them."

"So therefore, we should expect heavy resistance." Alasse clarified. "Perhaps we should ask for the aid of the others."

"Nah, I don't think so." Altwen denied. "Muscles is busy enough as is, Kitten's caught up in her own trainin' as well as trainin' her wolf and Sunshine won't go anywhere without Kitten in her sights. Besides, the two of us are good enough to take on a few bandits, and the Alik'r won't be a problem if we work together."

"That is precisely the problem." Alasse deadpanned. "We do not work well together."

Sighing, Altwen turned to face Alasse to look her dead in the eye. "Oh come on, I'm not a difficult person to work with. It's just you, you're the one that's a complete sourpuss and makes it hard to work with ya."

Alasse scowled at that, glaring at the other woman. "I am most certainly not. It is you that fails to take things seriously and as a result are a complete waste and insult to both of your heritages."

Altwen huffed at that. "Oh really? You takin' a stab at my background now, huh? That's low Ice Queen, even for you."

"I am under no illusion that your kind are treated well." Alasse continued. "But you are most certainly the worse example of your race, an insult to yourself and those around you."

The huntress frowned, clearly getting annoyed, but she took a deep breath to calm herself, raising her hands in a gesture of peace. "Stop! Look, I get it all right, you don't like me. You know what though? I don't like you either, but that shouldn't get in the way of our goal here. If we don't buckle down than an innocent woman could die tonight."

Sighing herself to regain her resolve, Alasse nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are right, I understand that. Just note that because we are fighting alone this time, do not think for a moment that I will accept your attitude."

Altwen shrugged. "I get that. So, do we have an accord?" she outstretched her hand in an offer of a handshake. Alasse stared at it for a moment, her eyes narrowing before finally relenting. She doesn't like the woman, but she was willing to put aside her feelings for the sake of anothers life. Therefore, she reached forward and gripped the huntress's hand, shaking it once.

"Agreed." she announced.

"Agreed." Altwen nodded, releasing her hold on the woman's hand, beginning a march for the main gate. "Then let's saddle up and head out."

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

It took Altwen and Alasse a good few hours of traversing across the snow covered tundra until they finally found the cave they were looking for. It was mainly the half-elf that was taking the lead, totally adiment that she knew where she was going, though Alasse swore that half the time she was making it up as they went along. However, when the mound that was the entrance to Swindler's Den came into view, the two women slipped off their horses and tied them to nearby trees, deciding not to get too close with the animals incase they ran into an ambush.

Knowing that any sentry bandits would spot them approaching against the stark white snow, Altwen lead Alasse to an outcropping of rock to seperate them from the bandit's line of sight. Once there, she grabbed the Altmer's sleeve and forced her to crouch down, which earned her a glare. Signalling her to stay quiet and low, Altwen crept closer.

When she could see over the rocks, she spotted that there was only one sentry standing guard outside the entrance. He looked positively miserable, wrapping his make-shift fur cloak closer to his body in an effort to ward off the cold.

She took off her bow and an arrow, nocking it on the string and inhaled a deep breath in preperation. She leant up to lean the majority of her weight on one knee, pulling back the string as she rose. The moment the bandit looked over and saw her, it was already too late as she loosened the arrow. The missile struck the bandit in the neck, sending the man to his knees as he clawed at the protruding shaft, gurgling on his own blood. She watched as his eyes rolled into the back of his skull, his body going limp and slumping face first in the snow.

Once he was down, Altwen glanced at Alasse with a smirk. "Not bad for a complete waste of half-elf, huh?"

"Do not start." Alasse remarked lowly, raising from her crouch as Altwen did the same, heading over to the entrance. As they passed the dead bandit, Altwen knelt next to the corpse to retrieve her arrow and riffle in his pockets, pulling out some gold coins and pocketing them. Looking over at the other woman, she saw that she had a displeased look on her face, which only caused the huntress to roll her eyes.

"Oh shush, it's not like he needs it anymore." she told her.

In response, Alasse sighed in irritation, stepping through the cave entrance and disappearing. It didn't take long for Altwen to follow.

Once inside, the first thing the women noticed was that it was dark, the only light coming from the cave entrance at their backs. It just barely illuminated a narrow corridor ahead of them. As they crept through, that was when they heard a couple of voices ahead.

"I'm not sure I like these Alik'r warriors hiding out here. They seem like trouble." came a gruff male's voice.

"Keep it to yourself." replied another male voice. "They're not paying us to talk. They'll be gone as soon as they've found whoever they're looking for, and we'll have all the more coin."

After that, they heard nothing else. Altwen crept down, looking through to the next room, seeing that it was a fairly decent size. From around the natural rock pillar, she spotted two bandits. One was sat at a table at the far end, and another had just drew his bow, pulling an arrow out and nocking it. As she watched, he fired the projectile at something that she couldn't see. She cocked a brow, but paid no mind as she turned to Alasse, whom was crouched beside her.

Looking back at her, Alasse spoke. "What is your proposed course of action?"

Smirking at the woman's formal tone, Altwen answered. "There's only two of 'em, so I say we take them out."

"Rush in?" Alasse questioned sceptically. "You cannot be serious."

"Yeah, I am." Altwen confirmed. "I may be able to sneak up on them, but I doubt you know how to keep yourself hidden and quiet in plain sight, do ya?" at the high-elf's silence, she continued. "Right, so let's take 'em out."

"Very well." the mage relented, raising her right hand as she summoned a green glow. Casting it, her body became incased in an armour spell, switching the auras to flames soon after. Altwen on the other hand, put away her bow and slipped a dagger from her bandoleer. After that, she stood up and sneaked into the room, leaning against a nearby wall.

"Oh, boys." she called out in a sweet and coy voice. Immediately, the two bandits attention snapped to her but before they could react, the huntress flicked her dagger at the one with the bow, watching with rapt attention as the dagger buried into his throat. Following that, a firebolt emerged from the darkness and exploded in the other bandit's chest, making him scream as his fur armour was set alight and scalding him. He was finished off by another firebolt exploding on him again as Alasse emerged from the corridor.

Stepping away from the wall, Altwen laughed as she retrieved her dagger. "Well, so far this is easy."

"Do not become over confident." Alasse warned.

Altwen rolled her eyes in response. "Oh please, there's no way these bandits will take us down."

"No, but the Alik'r most certainly will, so keep your guard up."

"Yeah yeah." Altwen dismissed as she walked in the room to retrieve her dagger. As she did so, she glanced over to where the bandit was firing his bow at, expecting to see a target or maniquinn full of arrows. What met her eyes was indeed a maniquinn but there were no arrows in its body, but instead they were in the head or spread across the floor. Upon closer inspection, she spotted a red apple sitting atop the maniquinn's head, which made her laugh. Glancing briefly over to Alasse, she saw the high-elf walking over to the table where the other bandit was, searching it for anything useful. She smiled, swiftly taking off her bow and an arrow, nocking and firing the projectile in record time.

Hearing the twang of a bow-string, Alasse immediately tensed up and turned to the source of the noise with both hands surrounded with flame. She frowned however when she saw only Altwen with her bow in hand, her firing arm raised and a pleased look on her face. Looking over to where the half-elf was staring at, she spotted a maniquinn with an arrow pinning a red apple above its head into the wall. Knowing instantly what the woman had done, she turned her glare to her. "Do you not have other matters to focus your attention on then polishing your own ego?" she snapped.

"Sure." Altwen responded while she put away her bow as she approached the dummy and retreived her arrow, which ultimately brought the apple with it. She took a hearty bite out of the juicy fruit while it was still stuck to the arrow, chewing and swallowing before smirking. "But showin' produce whose boss is so much more fun! Want some?"

Sighing while massaging her forehead, Alasse ignored the offered fruit and began to move toward the next room without further comments. The huntress shrugged, tugging off the apple and took another bite before flinging it over her shoulder as she followed after the Altmer.

Through the next corridor, the two women heard the voices of more bandits, estimating that there were at least three in this room. Altwen unsheathed both her swords as Alasse prepared her spells, both of them entering the room shortly after. Alasse first cast her spells upon the bandits, raining the fiery balls down on them which startled the bandits. Taking advantage of the element of surprise, Altwen leapt down on one with a yell, slashing her sword across his throat as she went.

As he crumpled to the floor with sickening gurgles, the other two bandits pulled out their respective weapons to engage the two sudden intruders. A Nord man pulled out a broadsword while a Bosmer woman took her bow and aimed at Altwen as she charged the man. However, her aim was interrupted by a firebolt exploding on her chest, setting the fur of her armour alight. She yelled out in pain before another bolt exploded in her face, totally scorching her skin and burning her alive.

Meanwhile, Altwen ran at the Nord smirking as he went to strike her with his sword, his purpose to gut her as she rushed him. That wasn't to be however, as at the last possible moment she tucked down into an athletic forward roll, allowing the sword to cut the air above her. She sprang back up onto her feet instantly, pivoting around while slashing the man at the same time. He screamed in pain as her sword connected with his weapon arm, forcing him to drop the sword. The woman didn't stop there though, as she slashed her other sword diagonally across his back, making his body go rigid before impaling the bandits heart with her first sword.

Pulling the weapon out, Altwen watched the bandit's body faceplant the dusty ground, smiling in victory. Glancing up at the Altmer as she made her way down the ledge, Altwen called out to her. "That's three to two, Ice Queen!"

Altwen frowned at her again. "This is not a compatition."

"Oh lighten up, would ya."

Alasse growled at that comment, not gracing the half-elf with a look as she entered the next corridor. She heard the woman follow as they both ascended a little incline, instantly seeing an opening before them. Crouching down and peaking around the opening, the two saw that it opened up into a very large chamber. One that had a long wooden dining table in the centre with a whole assortment of food and drink. Not to mention the number of bandits sat at it. The room was also over shadowed by a high ledge, which had a solitary archer patrolling it.

Lastly, at the head of the table stuffing his face with a leg of a chicken, was a bandit in heavy Nord inspired armour. He was clearly a Nord with a shaven head, his helmet sitting on the table before him and his great sword leaning against his seat. This must be the bandit chief.

Slipping away from the opening, the women glanced at each other, Altwen being the first to speak. "I counted nine bandits." she informed the other.

"Too many to take on directly." Alasse pointed out. "We will need a plan."

"I got one." the half-elf reassured. "First, I take out the archer. Without support from above, it'll be easier for us to move around without fear of catchin' arrows. Once the archer's down, you lay down some of them fancy wall spells all around the table. I'll take out the stragglers you happen to miss and we'll both take on the rest. Them bandits won't even know what hit 'em."

Alasse cocked a brow at that. That was actually a very good plan. Not flawless, but it will give them the advantage. The only worrying thing was the bandit chief, as he seemed to be a more accomplished fighter than the rest. Therefore she'll focus most of her spells upon him to whittle him down for Altwen to get in close.

With that in mind, she summonded her firewall spells and nodded to the half-elf, signalling that she was ready. Giving a cocky half-smirk back, Altwen readied her bow and arrow and pivoted around the corner with the string pulled back. Taking only a split second to aim, the huntress released the arrow, sending it hurtling toward the enemy archer.

As hoped, the half-elf's arrow buried directly into the archer's neck, making him crumple to the ground with a sharp gurgle. The sound of that and him collapsing to the ground above them immediately alerted the other bandits in the room, causing all of them to drop what they were doing and grab at their weapons.

Those at the table however never got the chance to jump completely out of their chairs, as Alasse acted the moment Altwen's arrow was released. She darted out of cover and cast the fire wall spell directly at the table, making it and the surrounding area catch on fire. Some of the bandits were unlucky enough to catch alight as well, screaming as their skin was burned to a crisp, leaving the women only six to deal with, including the chief.

The two bandits that were not seated at the table charged toward the women, which earned one of them an arrow in the heart for his trouble. As he faceplanted on the ground, his partner continued to charge while Altwen swiftly put away her bow, running at her in turn. Once close enough, the bandit swung her broadsword with the intent of skewering the huntress. To her surprise though, her sword hit nothing but open air as Altwen used her momentum to slide on the ground, which got her behind the bandit.

As the bandit fumbled to a halt, Altwen skidded to a stop and sprung up with her hands which threw her lower body into the air, thrusting her legs up and wrapped them around the bandit's shoulders. Using her unbalanced body against her, the half-elf pulled her using her centre- while letting gravity do most of the work- as she flipped her down and straddled her back, unsheathing a short sword as she did so. In a swift movement, she slit the bandit's throat, letting her bleed out as another bandit escaped the inferno that was once the table and charged at her. She backflipped off the corpse, landing nimbly on her feet as she unsheathed her second sword.

Meanwhile, the chief and last two bandits got away from the fire and focused their attention on Alasse. One bandit charged for her with a war hammer while the other summond lightning spells. Recognising the auras, Alasse knew that if she was hit by the lightning then not only would it damage her, but it will deplete her magicka alarmingly fast. Therefore, she changed the spell in her left hand to a Greater Ward, activating it as the opposing mage cast his Lightning Bolt spell. The bolt cracked on her ward with force, making her grunt and stumble back, but thankfully it spared her from any damage which gave her the time to grab for the dagger hidden under her robes.

Just as her fingers wrapped around the hilt of her weapon, that was when the hammer wielding bandit got within range of her. He pulled back the hammer before swinging it back around with the intent of clobbering her in the chest. However, what he didn't account for was her surprising nimbleness. Alasse may be a magic wielder by default, but she had been in a fair share of fights where it was impossible for her to gain distance between herself and her foe. Therefore, she had learnt how to handle a dagger for quick and precise strikes against her opponents.

As of right now, she jumped out of the hammer's arch before darting back in, stabbing her old elven dagger into the open sleeve of his doublet, directly through his ribs. From her medical expertise, she knew that the place she stabbed would be the quickest route to the lungs so she twisted the weapon to cause more damage and tear the lungs open. As a result, the bandit gasped in pain and fell to the floor. It was a slow death, but Alasse never got the opportunity to finish him off as the enemy mage cast more spells at her, forcing her to concentrate on keeping her ward strong.

It didn't take long for Altwen to break through her opponent's defence and take him down and when she did, that's when she noticed the bandit chief, with his great sword poised, charging at Alasse who was being peppered by spells from the bandit mage. Glancing at said mage, Altwen saw that the Argonian- surprisingly- had his back to her as he focused his attention on the Altmer, giving her the perfect opening. Wasting no time, she darted forward quickly and impaled both her swords through the Argonian's back. The bandit mage gasped in pain and his body became rigid, but it didn't take long before life left his body and he fell to the floor.

With the death of the mage, that only left the chief. However, Altwen barely lifted her head to see the large Nord when she witnessed Alasse attempting to dodge out the way of his great sword. The Altmer managed to make it further into the room and pivot around to throw a fire spell toward the bandit chief, but all that awarded her was her spell exploding harmlessly on his armour. His face did get slightly scorched by the after burn, but all that accomplished was the man becoming enraged. Therefore, he went on the offensive.

For Altwen, she hardly had time to move in to assist before the bandit struck. The armour spell that had been protecting Alasse since they arrived just happened to disappear at that precise moment, leaving the mage vulnerable for attack, since her robes would do nothing against the great sword. As the chief swung the weapon, Alasse had only the barest moment to get out of range of a fatal blow, but it was not enough.

The high-elf let out a pain filled scream as the tip of the great sword slashed across her torso, splitting open the front of her robes and biting through her flesh. Blood gushed from the wound as Alasse lost her footing and collapsed onto her back.

Seeing this, Altwen did not hesitate. She immediately sprung toward the bandit chief with a war cry, successfully getting his attention off the Altmer writhing in pain before him. She struck with the sword in her left hand, which the chief managed to block as she softened her forward momentum with a forward roll. Back on her feet, Altwen continued attacking the chief which forced him further into the centre of the chamber. Every attack that she delivered he blocked, but she could see that he was struggling to keep up with her fast attacks, as his heavy armour and weapon hindered him and prevented him from breaking through her offensive flurry.

While the half-elf had the bandit distracted, Alasse gritted her teeth as she took the opportunity to summon a healing spell. Fighting through the pain, she forced herself to concentrate as she cast a surge of healing magic through her own system. The spell took immediate effect, sealing the gash across her torso but as she wasn't fully focused, all it had accomplished was the prevention of more blood loss and dulling the pain. But that would work in her favour, since now without the pain hindering her concentration, she could focus fully on healing herself.

Meanwhile, despite the fact that Altwen had thus far successfully prevented the chief from delivering an attack to her, it appeared that he had become more accustomed to blocking her strikes. Therefore, unless she pulled an ace out of her sleeve right now, they both will be locked in this impasse for a while. In which case, it seems that she will have to start fighting dirty.

With that decision made, she feinted a blow that was aimed for his shoulder with both her swords. He fell for it, so she immediately went for the opening presented to her while his great sword was out the way. She hooked her foot around his ankle and pulled, which successfully yanked his foot from under him and as he never saw that coming, he had no time to regain his balance and fell onto his back.

Wasting no time, Altwen took advantage of his vulnerability and straddled his chest while pressing her knees down on his forarms, which kept him from lifting his sword to attack her. She took only a second to take in his look of utter surprise before she crossed both her swords across his neck and in one fell swoop, slashed them both horizontally, which took his head clean off his shoulders.

Altwen watched the head roll away from the body, blood gushing out continuously as spasms wrecked through the body below her. Finally the corpse stilled, allowing Altwen to lift herself to her feet and step to the side. She noted that some blood had sprayed onto her doublet, but she didn't let it bother her for now. The huntress wiped her swords on the padded part of the dead bandit's armour, cleaning off the blood on them before swiftly sheathing them in a stylish move.

Letting out a breath, Altwen turned to Alasse, seeing the high-elf cast another healing spell on herself. She watched as the last remenants of the wound she received knitted together fully through the tear in her robes, crossing her arms as the mage pulled herself off the ground.

Allowing a smirk to emerge, the half-elf huntress let out a laugh as Alasse padded closer to her. "Well," she began with mirth in her voice. "I dunno about you, but I'd say we brought this victory... to a head." her smirk widened as she casually gestured to the headless body beside her, laughing at her own jest.

On her part, Alasse was not amused in the slightest. In fact, it seemed the joke had hit something within her as her face twisted into one of pure anger. She gritted her teeth and curled her hands into tight fists, her tense muscles shaking so much from the rage she had thus far managed to contain. However, while in most scenarios the high-elf would attempt to keep her calm, this time something prevented her from doing so. Therefore, her rage had gotten the better of her as a deep growl slipped past her clenched teeth and before she could stop herself, she reeled an arm back and immediately backhanded the half-elf across her face.

Totally unprepared for that, Altwen didn't manage to stay completely upright as her cheek exploded in pain, as the force of Alasse's punch sent her reeling. She scrambled to prevent herself from tumbling onto her rear as she covered the affected area. Finding her feet again, she doubled over as she moaned in pain, feeling a trickle of blood escape through her nose.

Striaghtening up, Altwen tentitively wiped her wrist across her nostrils, staring in shock at the smeared blood on her gauntlet. Annoyance immediately ran through her as she turned her eyes to the Altmer, meeting the woman's own acidic glare. "What in Oblivion was that for?!" she yelled.

Scowling deeply, Alasse hissed back at the woman with pure rage in her tone. "You know full well what that was for!" her glare darkened as she continued. "I have withheld my inner thoughts of your attitude, but since the day we met you have been nothing but completely insufferable! I can no longer tolerate your childish behaviour!"

Feeling anger slip into her own mind, Altwen's glare deepened as well. "Oh really?" she snapped back. "I'm the childish one, am I? Ha, hilarious! You call me childish when your the one that lashed out-"

"Do not attempt to make me the guilty party!" Alasse interrupted. "You should know full well that in the face of danger, jokes and jibes such as yours are not welcome. Your antics have gotten not only me, but everyone else in our company in danger. Truly I was wrong before. Not only are you a waste to your own race, but you are generally a true waste of existence."

Altwen cocked an unamused brow at the Altmer. "Really? Well, that's rich comin' from you. What do you even know about my race anyway? Nothin', that's what!" She paused then, placing her hands onto her hips and rolled her eyes irritably, letting out a mirthless laugh. "You know, I find it funny. I actually had hope that you were different from your race, that you would prove to me that high-elves are not all high and mighty and look down their noses at whom they deem under them. Well, thank you for proving me wrong, Ice Queen. Thank you for showing me that you are no different than the Thalmor."

Alasse's expression became dangerous then, bordering on actually snarling at the woman before her as her acid green eyes seemed to flash. "Do not compare me to those vagabonds." she growled lowly, her voice quiet and full with more anger than was deemed possible for a single person.

Altwen didn't reply though. Instead, it seemed as though her own anger had taken the better of her, as her forest eyes took on a threatening look. Next thing the Altmer knew, the woman drew the dagger sheathed on her belt, poising herself as though she was about to throw it. Seeing this, Alasse immediately dropped into a combat stance as well, certain that the crazy woman woud attack her, as she resummoned her fire spells.

When the high-elf did that, that was when Altwen drew her arm back and flicked the lightweight dagger in one smooth movement. What surprised the Altmer however, was that the weapon did not seemed to be aimed at her. She blinked as the dagger whistled past her head and within the next second, the sound of fleshy impact followed by gurgling ran through her eardrums. Whipping around, Alasse notice instantly a bandit collapsing onto her knees, clawing at her throat uselessly as her own sword clattered to the floor.

Within moments, the bandit crumpled forward, now dead which gave way to deafening silence. Alasse turned back to Altwen, her own face somewhat impassive but still had clear shock in her expression as she took in the half-elf's. The huntress's face was quite livid, her green eyes glaring at the Altmer with no hint of the mirthful creature that she is known to be. In fact, if the woman didn't possess Altwen's face, Alasse would have been certain that she was a completely differenet person, as the expression was very alien on the huntress. That made the high-elf uncomfortable.

After a few tense seconds of simply staring at one another, Altwen finally made a move. She took a few steps toward Alasse, leaning menacingly in her personal space, her green orbs glaring. Even though Alasse was taller then Altwen by a near full head, the Altmer felt so much smaller under that glare.

"Let's make one thing perfectly clear." Altwen hissed quietly. "I respect your opinions and you're entitled to have them. I don't care that you insult me, but do _not_ deem me a waste of space in this world. Remember that if it wasn't for me, then your arse would have been impaled on that bandit's sword. So..." it was here she paused again, leaning in closer on the shell-shocked high-elf, forcing her to take a step back. "Do yourself a favour, and don't _ever_ hit me again, or you will regret it."

At that, Altwen finally retreated away from the Altmer, stepping around her and retrieving her dagger from the bandit's corpse. Straightening up, she could feel Alasse's acid green eyes on her as she wiped the excess blood from the weapon, sheathing it smoothy back on her belt. Taking a deep calming breath, the half-elf began to make her way to the corridor where the last bandit emerged from. "Let's just deal with the Alik'r and be done with this." she told Alasse without gracing her with another look.

Alasse watched the woman walk ahead for only a moment, her mind racing to comprehend what had just transpired. This was completely unlike the half-elf huntress, and Alasse was unsure what to make of this sudden change in her. Just as she jogged to catch up with the woman, that was when Alasse realised how foolish she felt for allowing her anger to get the better of her. It wasn't fair that she insulted Altwen in such a way, and she felt like a real hypocrite as a result.

Shaking those thoughts away, she finally caught up with the half-elf in time to see that they were already on the platform overlooking where they had just fought. It seems she was so deep in her inner turmoil that she had missed the journey up here. She berated herself for that as she watched Altwen disable some bear traps that sat before the entrace to the next tunnel.

Once the traps were safe, both women stepped over them and through the hallway, quickly finding themselves in a small cave which had been flooded. They stepped into the water, seeing a waterfall blocking the cave mouth at the other end. After a perusal of the area, they deduced that was the only way through, therefore they trudged through and stepped through the wall of water, which completely soaked them.

Almost immediately after they stepped through, that was when the sounds of ringing metal reverbrated through the air. Now on alert, the two women lowered into combat stances and raising their respective weapons as they looked above them. What met their eyes were a number of Redguards garbed in the now familiar armours of the Alik'r. Altwen narrowed her eyes at this as she quickly studied each man, counting at least eight of them. Not as many as she imagined, but if Saadia were to be believed, then this was going to be a heck of a fight.

However, what neither women expected was the voice that yelled out. "Alik'r, hold!" at the command, the Redguard warriors all lowered their scimitars. Confused, both Alasse and Altwen pivoted around toward the direction of the voice, seeing one Alik'r without a headwrapping. This must clearly be Kematu.

Kematu placed his hands on his hips as he addressed the two below them. "Stay your hand, warriors! You've both proven your strength, so let us avoid any more bloodshed. My men will not attack you if you keep your weapons lowered. Let us talk a moment, and no one else needs to die."

Frowning, both Altwen and Alasse exchanged a single look at one another, clearly suspicious. Either way, they lowered their respective weapons. "Very well." Alasse replied to the man. "Then let us talk."

Having the go ahead, Kematu began. "It's no secret why you're both here and you have proven your skills in combat. I think we can all profit from the situation in which we find ourselves."

Altwen let out a mirthless laugh at that, cocking a hip out as she yelled up at him. "You do realise that we were sent here to kill you, right?"

On his part, Kematu did not look in the least bit surprised. He only nodded. "Of course, sent by..." here he paused for a moment, placing a finger on his chin in thought. "What is that she's calling herself these days? Shazra? Saadia? One of those, correct? Did she appeal to your sense of honour? Your greed? A more... base need, perhaps?" he pointedly ignored the snarl that originated from Alasse- the Altmer clearly disgusted at the mere thought of that. "It doesn't matter. No doubt she's convinced you that she's the victim. But, do you know why we pursue her?"

"Yes actually, Saadia told us." Altwen answered. "You're assassins."

"Assassins?" Kematu echoed, his tone suggesting that thought was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. "No, nothing so crass. 'Saadia', as you know her, is wanted by the noble houses of Taneth for treason. We were hired to see her return to Hammerfell for her crimes. You could help us with that, and make sure no one else gets hurt."

Hearing this, Alasse frowned. It could be possible that Kematu was lying to them, but at the same time she heard a semblence of truth in his tone. Yes, lies could be hidden behind half truths, but now this had brought her to an impasse. Now she was no longer sure on who was telling the truth. If Saadia was a traitor and they killed these men to free her, then who's to say if she will do the same thing again in Whiterun. But on the other hand, if Kematu was lying to hide the fact that they were hired by the Thalmor and if they didn't kill him, then Saadia would be taken back to Hammerfell and slaughtered unethically by the Dominion.

However, before she had the chance to think any more on this, Altwen huffed in such a way that symbolised her disbelief. It appeared the half-elf had already made up her mind and what she had to say made the Altmer cringe. "Ha, I don't think so sandman. Saadia has already told us more than enough. You guys are bought by the Thalmor, so if you think that I'm going to stoop so low as to help those bastards, then you've got another thing comin'. The way I see it, there's only one way to settle this."

At that, before Alasse could even attempt to stop her, Altwen drew a dagger from her bandoleer and in one fell swoop, she tossed the weapon toward the nearest Alik'r. The blade buried deep into the man's chest, piercing his heart as blood spurted out in all directions. As the Redguard collapsed onto his back with a cry, the others raised their weapons. Kematu among them, and he looked livid.

In the next second, there was an explosion of movement as the Alik'r warriors jumped down from their perches, landing in the pool with a variety of splashes as they pursued Altwen and Alasse when they ran back through the waterfall. However, before any one of them broke through fully, the water was suddenly turned to ice. One unfortunate Redguard was trapped within the wall of ice, holding him in place securely. He looked up in time to spot the Altmer mage casting her icy spells which covered the entirity of the entrance before he was completely incased.

Thanks to the high-elf's quick thinking they were bought more time, but Alasse knew that the wall of ice spell would not hold back the Alik'r forever. Upon finishing her spell, she turned tail and followed after Altwen, catching back up with her in the main chamber. Upon seeing the huntress resetting the bear traps, Alasse scowled at her. "You reckless fool!" she yelled, to which Altwen only held up a hand to silence her.

"Now's not the time!" she yelled back. "Yell at me when we make it outta here, all right?"

Growling through clenched teeth, Alasse let it be for now, knowing that the woman was right. Throwing up her hands in annoyance, she relented as she spoke again. "Fine. What is your plan then?"

Finishing up with the last bear trap, Altwen rose from the ground and turned to the Altmer. "Well, good thinkin' with that ice spell but it won't hold 'em for long, so here's my thought. Unless they're willin' to jump down this ledge, then we can lure them through these tunnels and lay traps for 'em at every turn. So, you got any rune spells up your sleeve?"

"Yes, I do." Alasse replied.

"Good, then follow me." at that, Altwen began to run down the corridor they had recently come from, the high-elf on her heels. Once they made it to the other side, she turned back to Alasse. "All right, you lay down those rune spells of yours at these choke points. When you've done that, head back to the main room and hide yourself. Don't come out until I give the signal."

"Where will you be?" Alasse questioned as she summoned a fire rune spell.

"Doin' my own thing." and without another word, Altwen disappeared through the next corridor. Bemused, Alasse shook her head and continued with her task. But it was only after she was about to move on that she realised that she didn't know what Altwen's signal woud be. Growling in irritaion again, she carried on through the tunnels.

By the time she was finished, the winding corridors back to the main chamber was littered with hidden runes. With her job done, she ran into the wide open chamber, the dining table in the centre still on fire as she glanced around for a place to hide herself. Seeing nothing immediate, Alasse sighed, which turned to a small gasp when she heard a multitude of footsteps stomping from above. This meant that the Alik'r had broken through the ice. Mind racing, Alasse dashed over to the foot of the ridge, flattening herself against the rocks as best as she could.

She covered her own mouth to stifle her heavy breathing, listening to the yells of the Redguards as they came ever closer. But once their voices could be clearly heard- indicating that they had entered the chamber- that was when metallic snappings sounded out followed by the screams of one or two Alik'r. Clearly, Altwen's plan with the bear traps worked.

Within moments however, that was when she also heard the twang of a bow-string followed by multiple bodies hitting the floor with sickening noises. Then silence fell.

Alasse frowned at that. Surely that could not have been _all_ ofthe Alik'r? Suddenly suspicious, Alasse pushed off the wall, her hands raised with auras of flame. As she strained her neck to look over the lip of the ledge, that was when the sound of muliple footsteps echoed from the corridor to her right. Alarmed, the Altmer mage snapped her gaze to the entrance just in time to see Kematu- whom was weilding _two_ scimitars- emerge through the portal, followed by three of his Alik'r. Alasse immediately cast a volley of firebolts at them, knowing that she had no hope of hiding away since they had already spotted her.

How did they get around that way? Was there a route past the waterfall that looped back round in the cave? She never had time to ponder on it as the four Redguards charged at her. She threw a couple more bolts toward them, but that was when a light pain flared in her skull, breaking her concentration. She instantly understood she was running out of mana, as her vision also began to lose colour. Knowing that she had no chance to take on them all on without her spells, Alasse pivoted around and sprinted for the tunnel back up to the ridge, hoping to lure them toward her runes.

Just as she made it to the entrance of the tunnel though, a sudden surge of powerful magical energy circled the air, reverberating through her being. The only time she ever has a feeling like this is when she either casts her own spells, or another mage casts their's. Knowing that she did nothing of the sort- and knowing for a fact that Alik'r warriors don't tend to practise magic, especially not one _this_ powerful- she paused and turned back around. What met her eyes- to her absolute shock- was a rippling after-effect of a summoning portal and from it, came the flaming and beautiful form of a Flame Atronach. However, Alasse quickly recognised that this was no ordinary Atronach. This was a Flame _Thrall_ , a counjuration spell of the highest level.

Immediately, the Thrall began attacking the Alik'r, sending fire balls in rapid volleys toward the warriors which effectively kept them off Alasse's trail. Alasse was rooted to the spot, dumbfounded for a moment, merely watching the carnage before her as the Alik'r attacked the daedra. Altwen then suddenly appeared on the ridge above, beginning to fire down at the Alik'r also. "What're you waitin' for, Ice Queen? Run for it!" she shouted to the shell-shocked Altmer.

Understanding dawned on the woman as she snapped out of it, seeing that- of all people- Kematu had left his brothers behind to deal with the Thrall and charged toward her. Immediately, Alasse sprang into motion and began sprinting as fast as she could down the tunnel, her robes whipping behind her as she went.

Her breaths came rapidly as she pushed herself to her limit, hearing the Redguard warrior closing in on her. She could see the exit of the corridor directly ahead, where she knew one of her rune's were hidden. Practically feeling the Alik'r on her heels, Alasse gave it her all to make it through the opening and to a safe distance before her rune would explode. The spell had an area of effect and as she was the caster, she would not set it off, but if Kematu was right behind her then he would set it off and she would be caught in the explosion.

Unfortunately for her, that was precisely what happened. She had just made it through to the next room, but Kematu was indeed right behind her, ready to cut her down before her rune exploded, sending them both caneering into the room. They both let out screams of pain and surprise, Alasse especially as she felt the flames licking at her exposed skin, scorching her badly. She landed heavily on her side, groaning as she writhed in pain.

She attempted to summon a healing spell to rid herself of the pain, but her mana had yet to regenerate enough for her to even try. She never would have gotten the chance anyway, as Kematu had recovered quicker than her and had now grabbed her hood as well a chunk of her hair underneath. She screamed in pain as her roots were yanked harshly as Kematu pulled her up onto her knees, which prompted her to grab his wrists to get him to let go.

He pulled her up even more, lowering his head so he could talk directly to her. "I'd hoped we could work something out, that you would see reason." he told her, disappointment evident in his tone. "That we could avoid having to kill you. But now you have chosen your fate, and it is time for you to face it."

He raised his scimitar up to her throat and Alasse closed her eyes, knowing that she couldn't fight against him. She felt the bite of the blade on her neck, resigning herself to her fate.

However, she instead heard Kematu let out a yell of pain and he released his grip on her hair and hood, which caused her to fall forward with a grunt. It took her a good few moments to recognise the sound of ringing metal, deducing that someone was battling with Kematu. It could only be Altwen. Glancing up, she discovered that it was indeed the half-elf, seeing her rapidly attacking the Alik'r leader with abandon.

On his part, Kematu seemed to be hindered by the arrow shaft that was sticking out of his shoulder, which ultimately ended up being his downfall. Altwen kicked him directly in his gut, and while he had made the attempt to keep from doubling over, he still didn't have the time to block her incoming slash. Her first sword knocked his away with ease while the other attacked, successfully connecting. His throat was instantly split open, spurting blood in all directions as he began slowly drowning. Soon enough, his eyes rolled into the back of their sockets as his body crumpled down.

Seeing the huntress was victorious, Alasse allowed herself to relax slightly, feeling the adrenaline that had been coursing through her slowly disappear. As a result, her pain had increased tenfold, making it much harder for her to concentrate on summoning her healing magic.

Through the pain however, she felt someone was trying to lift her up, figuring that it would be Altwen, as they were now the only two people left alive in this cave. As she slowly sat up, she hissed in pain as she covered part of her face, feeling the burning sensation of what the fire of her rune left on her. Her hands were also scarred similarly.

While Alasse was getting her barings, Altwen couldn't help but stare in shock at the woman crouched before her. Her burns were clearly very bad, but the problem was that she could see them clearly, as her hood had slipped off her head when Kematu dropped her. The blue material was now draped over her shoulders, showcasing everything that was always hidden beneath. Her dishevelled auburn hair was long and fell past her shoulders, her olive skin now scorched red from the flames, but that wasn't what really caught Altwen's attention.

She had only briefly seen Alasse's face fully when they first met, when she pulled it off to kiss her forehead, but she didn't remember much of it since she was drunk that day. The woman before her clearly had the features of a high-elf- high cheekbones and a pointed chin- but that was in stark contrast of the smooth and rounded ears under her hair. Forest eyes wide in shock, Altwen allowed her mouth to drop open. "By the Gods." she whispered. Her voice brought the woman's attention to her, raising her acid green eyes to her face.

With a voice filled with the pain she felt, Alasse spoke back. "What is it?"

Altwen glanced directly into Alasse's eyes, staying silent for only a moment. "Your hood's off." she said at last.

It took Alasse a moment to understand what the woman was telling her, but when it registered, her eyes widened as she scrambled to pull her hood back over her head. The pain coursing through her system stopped her though, causing her to double over with a small cry. When she recovered, she turned her glare to Altwen, shaking her head when she realised there was no way around this. Altwen had already seen everything. "You cannot speak of this to the others." she hissed, her tone strict but with an undertone of fear. It was subtle, but Altwen clearly heard it.

With the shock of what she was seeing still running through her, Altwen merely stated the obvious to the woman. "You're a half-elf?!"

Alasse closed her eyes, shame filling her. She attempted to avoid the conversation by forcing herself to summon her healing magic, this time being successful. She cast the golden aura, sighing in relief when the burns were soothed and healed, though her headache flared up more and her vision continued to lose colour as her mana dropped harshly. She massaged her forehead as she squeezed her eyes shut against the assault.

Meanwhile, Altwen was completely livid as she snapped to her feet. "Un-freakin'-believable! You're a Gods damned half-elf! How in Oblivion did I not see this?" she ranted, beginning to pace. "Bloody Oblivion, it was so obvious! The signs were all there but I never saw them! Another of my own kind right under my nose, and I didn't even see it! Gods fuckin' damn it!" She glanced down at Alasse then, seeing the woman struggling to get to her feet. "But- oh hoho- but that then makes you _the_ biggest hypocrite out there! Calling me a waste of my race when you-"

"Enough!" Alasse yelled, silencing the huntress instantly. Pain still pounding through her skull, she begun to feel irritation gripping her conscience as she spoke to the woman before her. "Listen, I will admit that I am not proud of keeping this from you and the others, but it is necessary."

Altwen cocked a disbelieving brow at that. "Necessary?! How? How exactly is keepin' what you are a secret necessary?"

"Because I should not exist in the first place!" Alasse shouted back, her voice wavering at this confession though she made an effort to repress it.

Startled by the mage's outburst, Altwen stared at Alasse for an extended time as silence fell between them. She clearly heard the self-disgust in high-elf's... half-elf's... tone. She was ashamed of herself. Is that why she hid herself away? Altwen will admit, the mage is a genius at hiding what she is, since she looked more like a high-elf than whatever she was crossed with but she was genuinely confused as to why she hid that.

After she got herself back under control, Alasse inhaled deeply, letting it out in a sigh as she lowered her gaze, reaching for her hood and folded it back over her head, effectively hiding the human ears. She glanced up briefly at the huntress, acknowledging her blank expression. Before long though, Alasse broke eye contact and begun to exit the area. "Look," she began, bringing the huntress's attention on her. "Take whatever you wish from the corpses and let us leave. I have had enough of this place."

The newly revealed half-elf then turned and exited through the tunnel, leaving Altwen behind to gather herself and abid to her task.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

After collecting whatever they could from the den, Altwen and Alasse exited the cave and made their way back to their horses. Acorn and Aelsin were exactly where the two women left them, both mares waiting patiently for their masters to untie them and mount their backs. Once saddled up, the two half-elves set off back toward Whiterun.

Silence stretched between them during the trip back to the road, neither one inclined to break it. Soon enough though, once they finally found the road through the snow, Altwen's curiousity got the better of her, deciding it was time to speak up.

"So..." she began, stretching the word out to empathise how awkward she felt.

Alasse jerked her head in Altwen's direction slightly, clearly unhappy that she was breaking the silence between them. "What?" she snapped.

Altwen frowned at that. "Hey, don't get tetchy with me. It's just that I've not seen another half-elf in years. Outside my family that is."

Alasse cocked a brow at that, turning her head to gaze fully at the other half-elf. "You have a family?" she asked, her voice devoid of her usual snark.

"Well yeah, but don't get me off track. We're talkin' about you here." Altwen remarked.

"I would rather not." the mage dismissed, turning her eyes back to the barely visible road.

Sighing, Altwen decided to try a different approach. "Alasse." that did it. The woman's attention was immediately on her again, her eyes wide in surprise at hearing her own name being spoken by her fellow half-elf. Seeing she now had the woman's attention, Altwen continued. "I'm not stupid y'know. I heard the tone of your voice earlier. Nobody has that much disgust and shame about themselves just 'cus they exist. What made you this angry? That's all I want to know."

For the longest time, Alasse was quiet. So much so that Altwen figured that she wasn't going to be enlightened, that Alasse was going to shut her out again. Therefore, it totally surprised her when Alasse spoke up.

"That is not my true name." she whispered. So quietly in fact, that Altwen had to strain her ears just to hear her over the howling winds. "Alasse Míriel is merely a front. My real name is Raveya Silloniane. My mother was an Altmer and she was raped by an Imperial soldier. I am the result of unwanted sexual compilation."

Altwen bit her lip at that. "Well, that's not the most ideal way to be brought to the world, but that can't be the only reason you're this angry."

Alasse scowled, though it was obvious it was not directed at the huntress. The mage looked back toward the road, pulling back on her horse's reigns which caused the animal to come to a stop. Confused, Altwen did the same, looking back at the woman, seeing her inner turmoil.

Finally though, Alasse looked up to her. "You truly wish to know?" she asked, her green eyes narrowing. "You are that curious on why I hold much hatred for my own origins? It is because of the Thalmor. When they discovered my half-elven status, they were relentless in their hunt for me and for my mother. They did not care that my mother was not willing in my creation, they sought only to purge myself and her. For the longest time, my mother and I was constantly on the run. As a result, my mother had slowly begun to hate me and when the Thalmor finally caught up, she never fought against them. She merely allowed them to execute her, because she was tired of protecting an Imperial blooded elf. She left me, a defencless child, to fend for myself."

After her explanation, Alasse glanced at Altwen, her expression clearly showing that she was fighting to keep her emotions in check. "So now you see why I hate myself so much. Now you know why I hide my true identity, so tell me my _fellow half-elf_ ; is your curiousity satisfied? Do you feel better now you know my sad story?"

Altwen only stared at Alasse for a second, but a smile soon crossed her face. "Nope." she nearly laughed when Alasse gave her a look of shock. Her smile widened as she spoke up again before the mage could become angry with her. "But y'know what? It's enough. Your story is a sad one, yeah, but why should your past dictate who you are? Remember that I'm a half-elf too but you know what? I don't care. I don't give a skeever's ass about what I am, because that doesn't decide on who I am. My story ain't as bad as yours but fuck it. You are who you are, not what you are."

After Altwen finished speaking, Alasse couldn't help but stare at the woman in shock. Needless to say, the last thing she expected was Altwen to come up with logic like that and she felt rather foolish that she had never thought of it that way before. Even with all her knowledge and understanding of the physical and magical worlds, she had never figured out that logic before.

After a while, she spoke up again. "I will admit, I never expected you of all people to make me see my origins in a different light."

Altwen smiled back at her. "It helps to have a fresh perspective on things. Trust me, I've been at this far longer than you have. Now come on, let's get back to the city. Saadia's probably worried and there's a bowl of warm stew in there with my name on it."

Nodding in agreement, Alasse lightly snapped the reigns, coaxing her horse into a canter. Altwen soon followed and the two continued to pick out the road back to Whiterun. As they went, Alasse soon spoke up again. "Back there in the cave, you summoned a Fire Thrall. I was not aware that you knew magic."

Altwen shrugged, but she didn't meet the other's eyes. "Yeah, but I don't really know that much magic. All I know is some summoning spells." she then glanced over at Alasse with a smirk. "What, are you tellin' me that you couldn't sense my magic?"

Alasse scowled at that. "Silence yourself." she simply snapped, whiched caused Altwen to laugh.

"Oh, by the way?" Altwen continued. "Shall I call you Raveya now, or do ya still prefer Ice Queen?"

In response, Alasse bore her scowl at the woman before turning her eyes back to the road as she replied. "I really hate you." her words were harsh, but her tone was light. It was as close to a jesting tone as the woman would get, and Altwen couldn't help but grin at that.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoO**

 _Well well, seems like I've got my muse back again. Let's see how long this one will last for._

 _Edit: I made a couple of spelling and grammar corrections as well as adding a bit more to Altwen's and Alasse's conversations._


	13. Chance's Folly

**4E 202  
9th of Morning Star**

The winter had been very harsh to the province of Skyrim, the blizzards becoming more regular in the southern regions and were difficult to deal with, but they were an absolute nightmare up north in Winterhold. At this very moment, the old city was being pounded by one of the worst snowstorms of the winter, snow and ice layering over the roads and buildings, hiding them from view which made it difficult for travellers whom are on the move.

However, for the two women walking toward the old town, the snow and freezing winds were not a bother. Only because Serana and Senynda were vampires of course, but people didn't need to know that, so they had worn fur cloaks and hoods to keep up appearances to the mortals. Therefore, no one batted an eye as the two made their way toward the incline leading to the bridge for the College.

On their way, Serana gazed around, spying many of the citzens in a meloncholic state. And for good reason, since the once great city had been demolished by natural means many centuries ago, the houses looking as though they had been dragged down the cliffs. Amazingly though, the College itself was still in good shape, which was a feat in itself. As a result, the Nord vampire had noticed that the people were keeping a wide berth of the College, as if they believed it was cursed or something. Of course, she knew that most Nords don't tend to trust magic anyway, but this was something else entirely.

Either way, she didn't bring this up to Senynda. Reason being, there was no doubt the Redguard was fully aware of the destruction of the town, perhaps she even lived during the time it had happened, since Serana had figured out that Senynda was very old, if not ancient. Clearly not as old as she is, but the other woman had more experience out in the world, since she had lived through it rather than being locked in a cave for centuries on end.

Not only that though, but in the short time Serana had known the other woman, she had proven to be quite bloodthirsty and incredibly unremorseful with little regard for human life. All she cared about was perserving her own standing in the clan on top of fulfilling her father's supposed prophecy. Despite that, Senynda was very dignified and polite when being spoken to, but while they journeyed together, Serana had witnessed her brutally killing her victims when feeding or fighting.

Put simply, Serana didn't feel all that comfortable speaking casually with the woman, but she remained polite toward her. It was simply in a bid to stay on the woman's good side, as she wouldn't put it past her to kill her own kind if she feels threatened.

As they approached the bridge, the two had become increasingly wary of the rising sun. Even though the sun is hidden behind the volumonous grey clouds, they could still feel the draining effects of the daylight. Thankfully, since they were both extremely old vampires, they had gained the ability to withstand the sun's effects for an extended amount of time. But they were both still eager to get inside the College to shelter from the harsh rays for a while. By the looks of the sentry wizard standing guard of the bridge's entrance however, it looked as though they would have to wait a little longer.

The Altmer woman frowned at the two when they ascended the incline, holding up a hand as she stood directly in their path. "Cross the bridge at your own peril!" she called out over the storm. "The way is dangerous, and the gates will not open. You shall not gain entry!"

Standing before the woman, Senynda glanced over to Serana, one elegant brow arching as though she had a plan worked out already. Gazing back at the Altmer, she spoke back to her in an apologetic tone. "My apologies, I wasn't aware this place was locked down. We were merely curious on what this building is."

The high-elf's demenour changed then, tension leaving her shoulders instantly. "Oh, forgive me. Most who arrive here do so because they have heard of the College beforehand." she explained, before gesturing to the grand building itself. "This is the College of Winterhold, a safe haven for mages in Skyrim. A place of wisdom and arcane knowledge."

"Interesting." Senynda responded, her tone suggesting that she was fascinated with this knowledge, but Serana knew better. This was Senynda doing one of the things she does best; deception. It was clear that she had perfected this technique through centuries of practise, as she is an artist at deception, making lies seem like truths and vice versa. Also in suggesting ideas to people in a way to make them believe that it was their's in the first place. Truly, if there was one thing scarier then a bloodthirsty killer, it was a bloodthirsty killer that could get into your head.

Senynda spoke again before long. "Would it be at all possible for us to enter the College?"

The Altmer cocked a brow. "Perhaps. But what is it that you expect to find within?"

"Why, to unravel the mysteries of Aetherius of course." Senynda answered without pause, causing the high-elf to glance at her in approval.

"Ah, the immortal plane." she elaborated with a nod. "It is said to be the source of all magic. This is a noble goal, indeed. It would seem that the College has what you seek. The question now is what you can offer the College?"

The two frowned at that. Clearly it would be harder to gain entry than initially anticipated. "What exactly do you mean by that?" Serana asked sceptically.

Glancing at her, the high-elf responded. "Not just anyone is allowed inside. Those wishing to enter must show some degree of skill with magic. A small test, if you will." she gestured to the circular symbol that sat on the ground behind her, which depicted the College's sigil.

On her part, Senynda didn't look the slightest bit worried. Yes, they both knew some magic- most originating from their vampiric state- but it was clear that the woman wasn't about to comply to this elf's whims. "Oh, come now." the Redguard began, placing her hands on her hips. "I am certain that we both know that we will succeed."

The Altmer frowned, crossing her arms. "No, I'm afraid I don't know anything of the sort."

"Oh, but you do." Senynda retorted, her head lowering minutely as her gaze became more intense. "You know because it is clear that you are a master of your technique. Therefore, it is no doubt child's play for you to see that we both hold great semblences of magic."

"I fail to see your point." the woman responded with a hint of annoyance in her tone.

"My point is that you are clearly a well trained mage whom has no need to _see_ if anyone is skilled in magic. You can sense it, can you not?"

The Altmer blinked at that, beginning to look increasingly sheepish as time went on. "Well, I will admit that I frequently study magical essences that resonate through the air..."

"Therefore," Senynda interrupted. "It is clear to you that we have more than sufficient magic to enter your College. And I am certain that you will be thankful that you did not turn us away when we bring our knowledge and skills to you."

"Well," the woman mused. "It is not unheard of that many find different aspects in the schools of magic. If that is so, then I'm sure if you share your own knowledge, it would increase the Colleges reputation that much more, and perhaps bringing more wizards to our doorsteps."

"Precisely." Senynda nodded with a 'genuine' smile.

The high-elf nodded. "Very well, you both may enter. I think you'll both be superb additons to the College. Welcome, Apprentices. I'll lead you across the bridge and once you're inside, you'll want to speak with Mirabelle Ervine, our Master Wizard. Please, follow me." at that, the high-elf woman turned and began marching across the bridge, the two vampires behind her. On her way, the mage lit up a total of three stone wells, which are known as the Mystic Focal Points of the College, making them glow blue and reach high to the sky. Upon reaching the end of the partially crumbled bridge- of which was very icy and was missing the side railings in most sections, which threatened a fatal fall to the clumsy- the Altmer lit the final focal point, which opened the grand iron gates, admitting them to the College courtyard.

As the woman turned to walk past them- and return to her sentry position no doubt- that was when Senynda suddenly struck out. It was without warning, so Serana hardly had time to react before the Redguard's newly grown fangs sunk into the mage's throat. The high-elf's scream was swiftly muffled before a single sound came out, as Senynda snapped her hand over her mouth in less than a split second. Soon enough Senynda released the woman, whom now looked as though she was in a daze. It was clear what she had done.

Grabbing the elf's chin in a firm hold, Senynda licked the wound on her neck, healing it up instantly, before she forced the half conscience woman to look onto her caramel eyes. "Return to your post." she commanded. "You will forget this encounter and plead ignorance of our presence." at that, she released the woman, letting her walk back across the bridge.

Serana glanced to Senynda, her mind racing but outwardly she kept her expression blank. "I'm going to assume that she will not stay that way forever."

"You assume correctly." the Redguard answered, wiping off a small line of blood that dribbled down her chin with her thumb, sucking it off as her fangs retracted. "And if I can predict your next question; I did not kill her because she is obviously a prominent member of the College, and she would clearly be missed. We cannot afford to have our positions compromised Serana, so be sure to erase these mortals memories before we leave."

"I'll be sure to remember that." the Nord woman responded, her voice monotone as the two entered the College grounds.

The courtyard was quite an impressive sight, with multiple focal points dotted around the circular edges with a statue of the College's founder, Shalidor, dominating the centre. The courtyard branched off into three halls: the Hall of Attainment, the Hall of Countenance and the Hall of Elements, which was their destination. As the courtyard was deprived of life due to the storm, it was easy for the vampires to cross to the opposite side, entering the double doors and freeing them from the burning daylight temporarily.

Inside the foyer, the two immediately spotted a gate that seperated them from the main chamber. In the centre of the circular room was a focal point, one that was larger then those outside. In the hall were many mages, all dressed in various colours of robes; clearly the students. Others were dressed in darker or more elaborate robes, indicating that they were the lecturers or teachers. Either way, due to the number packed in the room, Senynda could guess that the vast majority of the residents were inside and were focused on their studies, which would make it easier to sneak through unnoticed.

Turning to the right, Serana and Senynda slipped through a door which the vampires knew would lead to the Arcanaeum, a library that housed numerous books that students used for studying. That being said, Senynda knew that the one person in the College that would know about any Moth Priests would be the overseer of the Arcanaeum. Climbing the stairs, they soon emerged into the entrance hall of the vast library.

Stepping further in, the library opened up into a large circular room, a study area in the centre which was sunken down lower than the rest of the room and flanked by stone walls with alcoves. The outskirts sported multiple bookshelves, all of which was securely locked. Looking around, there appeared to be only two people inside. One was a male dark-elf sat on a chair to their left, staring blankly at a wall, and another was sat at a desk at the far end. The one at the desk was an Orc surprisingly, his white hair and beard trimmed and neat and his gold robes clean. He seemed to be very dignified for an Orc, which was quite unusual for the species as well.

Approaching him, he snapped his head up toward the movement, a frown forming on his face as they stopped behind his desk. Straightening, he crossed his arms as he greeted them gruffly. "Not seen you two before so obviously you're new here. Know this; you are now in the Arcanaeum, to which I am in charge. It might as well be my own little plain of Oblivion. Disrupt my Arcanaeum, and I will have you torn apart by angry Atronachs."

Arching a brow, Senynda nodded. "Understood." she responded respectfully. Turning to Serana, she made eye contact with the woman before the Nord turned and paced away, heading toward where she saw the other occupant of the library under the guise of browsing the books. Looking back to the Orc, Senynda spoke again. "You take your work very seriously, I take it?"

The Orc frowned at her, as if what she had said was the most ridiculous thing to grace his ears. "Of course I do." he huffed. "If I didn't, most of these books would've been burned to ashes or dissolved to nothing before the Third Era. Mages need to be reminded to be careful around research materials. Now, do you require assistance?"

"Indeed I do." she acknowledged. "I need to find a Moth Priest."

The Orc frowned in confusion at that. "A Moth Priest? What in Oblivion do you need a Moth Priest for?"

Senynda crossed her arms as she replied. "My business is my own. Tell me what I need to know, please."

"Fine, fine." the Orc relented with a wave of his hand. "No need to get your breeches in a twist. The obvious answer is to go to the Imperial City. The Moth Priests make their home in the White Gold Tower, but sometimes they go out looking for Elder Scrolls. Lucky for you, there's a Moth Priest in Skyrim right now, doing just that. He stopped in to do some research in the library, then left for Dragon Bridge. If you hurry, you might catch him there."

Senynda nodded at this information, circling around the desk and leaning on it, giving the Orc a toothy smile. "Thank you." she purred, allowing the Orc a brief show of her fangs growing- enjoying his widening eyes as he swiftly figured out what she was- before she struck, grabbing the Orc and sinking her teeth into his neck. She also briefly heard Serana do the same with the other person, hearing his brief cry of surprise before she muffled it. The Orc too attempted to yell out, but Senynda cupped his mouth to silence him. He fought back too, but Senynda's supernatural strength soon proved to be superior to his as she easily held him down. Once he relaxed, she released her hold, licking the wound on his neck to heal it before commanding him to go about his daily activity and forget he ever saw them. Before long, the two women exited the Arcanaeum and out of the Hall of Elements, swiftly leaving the College behind them.

Back in the town, the two exchanged gazes. "So, to Dragon Bridge then." Serana stated.

"Indeed." Senynda responded. "We must make haste, we cannot lose that Moth Priest now." with that, the two left the old city behind, beginning their journey west to Haafingar and ultimately, Dragon Bridge.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoO**

As the winter continued on, it seemed as though the days were getting longer and longer for Ty'ani. The blizzards that hit Whiterun had begun to grow steadily worse, and made travelling out into the tundra perilous. Even Altwen had complained about the weather, telling them it was near impossible to hunt outside the walls. Due to that information, Ty'ani had worried that her companions wouldn't be able to afford to stay at the Bannered Mare any more, but to her surprise, they continued to do so. They never told her where they got that much coin from and she never pryed, it wasn't her business anyway.

As of now, Ty'ani was sitting within Jorrvaskr and was staring out the window that showed the training yard. The blizzard that was going on this time was the worst one by far, as snow and ice blanketed the whole area making the yard barely recognisible. Even with her eyesight, it was very difficult for Ty'ani to see anything through the storm, only managing to see up to the city wall. It had gotten worse since they had all rushed in from training, and Ty'ani was suddenly glad they did. She didn't like the cold at the best of times, but this was absolutely deadly. If this was how bad the storms got in this reigion, then that yet again begged the question as to why the Khajiit had thought it was a good idea to come to this province in the first place.

As she stared, that was when the white Khajiit felt something rest on her thigh, followed by a whining sound. Tearing her eyes from the lack of view outside, her sapphire orbs met the baby blue ones of Ar'jenn.

Over the past week, the dire wolf pup had increased in size quite a bit, as her head now almost reached up to Ty'ani's hips. The Khajiit could barely believe that the wolf was only seven weeks old, as she looked like a fully grown dog. She dreaded to think how big Ar'jenn would be once she's fully grown.

She smiled when Ar'jenn stared back up at her, her chin resting on Ty'ani's leg as though she was begging for something. Ty'ani had a feeling this probably meant the wolf was hungry, or she wanted her attention. So to find out, Ty'ani shifted in her seat, which caused Ar'jenn to raise her head off her thigh, as the girl buried her fingers into the wolf's soft white fur and began stroking it.

"What's the matter girl?" she asked. Ar'jeen merely continued to stare at her with her large pleading eyes. Of course Ty'ani knew that the animal couldn't answer her back, but for some reason it felt right to talk to the wolf like she was a person. Or a child maybe. She guessed that it stemmed from her knack of talking to herself whenever she's alone- and whenever she's not alone sometimes. It was a habit that she had yet to break out of, so maybe she thought that was the reason she spoke to Ar'jenn so much even though the wolf couldn't talk back. That and it felt like whenever the Khajiit spoke to the pup, she felt that it was nice to speak without interruption or judgement. Divines knew she has so much to vent about nowadays.

Either way, Ar'jenn's fluffy tail and her ears perked up when Ty'ani spoke to her, the fifth appendage wagging slightly. That caused the girl's smile to widen. "You hungry girl? Is that it?" she asked and the pup perked up even more, her tail wagging more energetically as she stepped back from the seated Khajiit, seeming to dance on the spot from excitement. Ty'ani couldn't help but giggle at that as she rose from the seat. "All right, let's go get some food then."

She made her way over to the horse-shoe shaped dining table in the centre, where some of the other Companions were already helping themselves to food. A few of them were absent, having gone out on contracts and Ty'ani hoped that they were managing the storm alright.

She picked a seat at random as Ar'jenn bounced around with little barks of excitement, but the dire wolf soon stood at her master's side as the Khajiit picked up a slice of cooked beef from the platter in front of her. Using her claws, Ty'ani ripped the meat in half, placing one half back on the table for now as she turned to Ar'jenn with the other.

"Sit." she commanded, firmly but softly. Almost immediately, Ar'jenn obeyed. Ty'ani praised her as she offered the meat with a reminder to the wolf to be gentle, to which the dire wolf pup took with only the barest snap of her jaws.

As Ty'ani had spent as much of her free time with the dire wolf as she could, she had made quite tremendous progress with her training. She often did as she commanded, but when the pup got too excited it did take a few tries to get the wolf to calm down. There were still a few kinks that needed to be worked on with Ar'jenn, but Ty'ani was determined not to give up.

As she grabbed the second piece, that was when she heard a chuckle not too far from where she was sitting. Once Ar'jenn gobbled up the remaining meat, Ty'ani turned her head round toward the sound, spotting almost immediately that it was Farkas. The tall Nord man regarded the smaller Khajiit and the wolf as he placed down whatever he was eating. "You know," he began after he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You did a really good job of training her."

Ty'ani smiled back at him. "Thank you, I try."

"I'm gonna be honest," he continued. "I didn't really think that you'd be able to train a wild animal like her. Or, you know... get as far as you have in your own training. I'm kind of glad you proved me wrong. Haema really was right about you."

Ty'ani bit her lip bashfully at that, lowering her head to her wringing hands as she responded. "I'm just happy to have this opportunity."

They fell silent after that, with Farkas returning to his meal and Ty'ani continuing to feed Ar'jenn. Before long though, a sudden strong gust of wind blew past, which rattled the roof above them as though it threatened to be torn off. It held thankfully, but to the people inside, it was a little worrying.

"Storm's getting worse." Aela observed with a frown. "Didn't think it would get this bad."

"What do you mean?" Ty'ani asked, confused at the woman's words. "Aren't the storms usually like this?"

Aela glanced over to her as she replied. "Not this bad. The buildings round these parts are built to withstand the weather, and I've never known a storm to get so bad that it would rattle the roof like that. That either means the weather is becoming worse, or something is going on to make the weather this way."

"Wait." Athis piped up next, giving Aela a look that betrayed his disbelief. "You're saying that something out there could be making the storm worse magically? I've never heard of such magic."

"I'm not entirely sure," Aela confessed. "But the blizzards don't usually get like this, so it could be possible."

Needless to say, this information got Ty'ani worried. If the storm was being influenced by magic, then what sort of magic was it? She'd never knew that there could be spells that could affect nature itself. Of course, Ty'ani didn't know a single thing about magic anyway, so really the best person to ask was Alasse. However, the high-elf seemed to have become rather withdrawn as of late and whenever people spoke to her, the most they got out of her was one worded answers. It had Ty'ani greatly concerned in truth, but she knew from experience that if anyone pryed then she'd get annoyed, so she left the mage to open up to them in her own time.

But at the moment, Alasse was the least of her concerns. She knew that with the storm the way it is, anyone outside the city walls could potentially be in danger and this had her worried for Ri'saad and his caravan. They had turned up a few days ago and would originally be on their way back to Markarth by now, but with the raging storm that meant they would be trapped where they are until it passes over. Divines only knew how long that would take.

Against her better judgement, she decided to go out there and see if they were alright. Yes, she would much prefer not to go out in this blizzard and potentially freeze to death but she had to make sure, if only to give herself peace of mind.

Therefore, Ty'ani rose up from her seat and made her way down to the lower level to retrieve her weapons. Most would call her paranoid for doing so but anything could be hiding out in this storm, and since the Solstice she had the constant feeling of being watched, which had her fur standing on end. It may be nothing, but she would much prefer to remain safe than sorry.

Ar'jenn, upon seeing her master get up and walk away, ran after her without any prompting. It surprised Ty'ani when the dire wolf rushed past her and circled around for a moment, but she smiled when she realised the wolf wanted to come with her. May as well let Ar'jenn come with her, and then see if Haema could take care of her while she was out. Even though Ar'jenn could more than likely hold her own in a fight, Ty'ani would rather not risk it and end up losing her.

"Come on then, Ar'jenn." Ty'ani told the wolf, walking past her and down the stairs, sensing the dire wolf following behind.

Upon reaching the bottom floor, Ty'ani turned right and headed directly down the hallway. She greeted Tilma as she passed the old woman, making sure to give her a wide berth so she doesn't get in the way of the elder's sweeping. She soon reached the end of the hall, thankful to see that the double doors leading the the Harbinger's quarters were wide open. She knew that Haema tended to have an open door policy, but she would prefer not to just walts in unannounced and potentially startle the warrior.

Therefore, she stood in the doorway whilst peeking in slightly, seeing the blonde Nord woman seated at her desk and writing. Biting her lip, Ty'ani knocked on the edge of the doorway, instantly gaining the woman's attention as she turned to look in her direction. Seeing who it was, Haema immediately placed her quill in its inkwell and brought her full attention to the Khajiit.

"Ty'ani." she greeted with a smile.

"Hello Haema." Ty'ani said back as she stepped fully into the room. "I was just wondering if you could look after Ar'jenn for a moment?" she placed a hand on the wolf's head as she asked this.

Haema subtly cocked a brow at this, but she nodded regardless. "Well of course, but may I ask why?"

Ty'ani bit her lip again before answering. "I'm worried about Ri'saad and the caravan. The storm has gotten worse and I just want to see if they are alright. And if there's something out there, I would prefer Ar'jenn not getting hurt."

"Ah, I see." Haema nodded. "Well, be sure not to take too long. If the storm is as bad as you say, I would prefer you not being out there longer than necessary."

Ty'ani nodded as she coaxed Ar'jenn to Haema's side and getting her to sit. After ensuring the dire wolf pup would stay, the Khajiit girl looked back up at the Nord woman. "Don't worry, it shouldn't take too long. Thank you." at that, she turned and exited the room and made her way back down the corridor. She turned into the sleeping quarters where she is staying and immediately collected her weapons, plus the new steel short sword Eorlund made for her. The sword was made in the same fashion as the weapons the other Companions possessed, with the blade sporting the beautiful wavy patterns, the hilt covered in soft leather and the pommel sporting a wolf's head. Once the weapons were all in place, she wrapped her cloak over her shoulders as she headed back up the stairs.

Back in the meadhall, she was about to head out the door when a voice stopped her. "You're really going to go outside with it like this?" turning, she noticed Ria was right behind her, giving her a look of concern. During the time Ty'ani had been in the Companions, Ria had grown fond of the young girl and treated her like a younger sister. Ty'ani, in turn, felt that Ria was like a big sister as she constantly watched out for her, but sometimes her concern can be a little overbaring. Letting go of the door handle with a sigh, Ty'ani turned fully toward her.

"I'm not going to be long, just checking on the caravan outside." she replied.

"Are you sure?" Ria asked, her tone betraying her worry about the small girl. "The storm's really bad, and it will be very cold. I know what you're like with the cold."

"I'll just be outside the gates." the Khajiit reassured. "Besides, if something happens I have my weapons with me, so I'll be fine."

Seeing that she wasn't going to talk the girl out of this, Ria shrugged. "Okay, just be careful."

Smiling at the woman as she walked away, Ty'ani opened the door and swiftly closed it once she stepped out, ensuring the chill wouldn't creep inside. The moment she stepped outside, Ty'ani immediately gasped in shock from the frozen air, wrapping her arms and fur cloak tighter around herself. Her hair was being whipped about by the strong winds and she squinted her eyes against the snow flying into them. By Gods, if this storm was really being influenced by magic, then this must be a very powerful wizard.

Either way, Ty'ani folded her hood over her head and forced herself to descend the stairs into the Wind District, before turning to the stairwell to the Plains District. On the way, the only people she saw walking the streets were the city guard, each one wrapped almost head to toe in fur to ward off the freezing winds. The marketplace in the bottom most district was completely devoid of life as well, and the stands were empty of the usual produce that sat upon them. The Khajiit had never seen the market so empty before. It truly felt like a ghost town, causing a chill to run down her spine- of which was not the result of the storm- as she made her way to the city gates.

With every step she took, she fought to keep the cloak wrapped around her body. It was very difficult to stay warm when the wind kept her cloak whipping around, as the only part of her body that was truly covered were her shoulders and head. This almost made her second guess herself and return back to Jorrvaskr, or maybe even the Bannered Mare since it was closer, but she had to make sure the caravan was alright. Therefore, she pushed on as she stepped through the main gates and made her way to the outer wall.

She was glad that Ri'saad's caravan wasn't that far away from the outer wall, which meant it wouldn't take long to talk to them and head back into the city. She instantly saw the caravan, with all the occupants either sheltering themselves in spare tents or warming themselves by the fire. But before she passed the archway leading to the outskirts, she spotted someone standing at the main tent with Ri'saad.

At first she thought nothing of it, since people tend to trade with the caravans often, but when she studied the person more her eyes narrowed in confusion. It was a man, that much was obvious, but he was covered with tanned monks robes- on top of the fur cloak draped over his shoulders- and he appeared not to be trading with Ri'saad but talking to him. What was a monk doing talking with the caravan leader?

Suddenly curious, Ty'ani used the storm to her advantage as she ducked behind a collection of rocks close to the camp, keeping herself hidden but the two men in her sight. She strained her ears to hear them over the howling winds, soon picking up that the two of them were speaking in the Khajiiti tongue. This surprised her as she listened to their conversation.

" _I understand your feelings, Ri'saad,_ " the man in the robes told Ri'saad, as he knelt beside him and placed a hand on the older Khajiit's shoulder. The fluid dialect and the lack of accent in his voice instantly told Ty'ani that this man was a Khajiit as well. She frowned as she listened on. " _But surely you must know the ramifications of revealing that information to her. If she is exposed too soon..._ "

" _Yes, I know_." Ri'saad answered, his tone dejected as his head lowered. " _But it is difficult. For so long I believed her to be dead, and now that she is here..._ "

" _Ri'saad._ " the robed Khajiit said, bringing the older Khajiit's eyes to him. " _The time will come soon, and then you may hold her in your arms once again. But until that time, it is better and safer for her if she is left in the dark. I'm certain the last thing you want is the Dominion finding her._ "

" _No._ " Ri'saad snapped as he glanced up at the Khajiit monk, his amber eyes taking on a look of determination. " _She will_ not _fall to their hands. I will not allow what happened to my mate to happen to her._ "

The hooded Khajiit man nodded, squeezing Ri'saad's shoulder as though he was consoling him. " _Then be patient, my friend._ " it was then that the robed man looked around, prompting Ty'ani to duck down a little as to not get spotted by him. However, she could still see him and she was shocked to find that she recognised the man under the hood. It was the strange Khajiit that had run into them when they were heading to High Hrothgar. What was his name? M'iaq? Yes, that sounded right.

She wasn't sure if M'iaq had seen her but if he did, he did well hiding it as he turned back to Ri'saad and stood back up. " _I apologise, my friend, but I must leave._ "

" _I understand_." Ri'saad nodded. " _Be sure to watch your back out there, M'iaq. The Dominion has taken full advantage of this war, and are spreading rapidly in the Imperial reigions._ "

" _I always do_." M'iaq answered before turning away and disappearing through the snow.

Watching him go, Ty'ani couldn't help but think about what she had just heard. It was clear that she missed the brunt of the conversation, so therefore she couldn't begin to guess who this mystery woman was. Whoever she is though, she seemed to be very dear to Ri'saad if his words were anything to go by.

Ty'ani stayed crouched where she was for a little while longer, in spite of the cold creeping in her very bones, not wanting to clue Ri'saad in on the fact that she was just eavesdropping on him. That was a conversation she really didn't want to get into, so she stayed where she was until she deemed it safe enough for her to come out of hiding. However, she sneaked back round to the archway of the outer wall until she was out of sight before standing straight. She hugged herself in a desperate attempt to warm up as she walked back out the archway, heading over to the caravan without hesitation.

As she approached, Ri'saad glanced up from staring into his lap, blinking when he saw her. " _Ty'ani?_ " he questioned in their mother tongue as he rose to his feet and guided her toward the campfire. " _Whatever are you doing here? Come, you must be freezing._ "

As she knelt before the fire, she waved briefly to the others as she hovered her hands over the flames. She sighed as the warmth trickled in, but it wasn't quite enough to completely ward off the cold. As she tried to warm herself up, Ri'saad knelt beside her, prompting her to glance at him. She smiled. " _Sorry,_ " she began. " _I just wanted to make sure you all were alright, this storm is pretty bad._ "

Ri'saad smiled back at her when she said that. " _Oh Ty'ani, this isn't the first time we were trapped by Skyrim's winter._ "

" _Yes._ " came the voice of Khalya from across the fire. " _But this storm is far worse than what we have dealt with before. It makes me long for home that much more._ "

Ri'saad nodded in understanding of that. " _Yes, I know_."

That made Ty'ani think though. There wasn't really anything to stop Ri'saad and the other caravans from returning to Elsweyr, or even going to a warmer province, so that begged the question of why they didn't just leave. Was Ri'saad really telling the truth and taking the opportunity to sell their wares where others were too frightened to do so, or was there something else that kept him here? The conversation she overheard made her overanalyse, thinking that maybe Ri'saad was staying so he could be reunited with the mystery woman.

Honestly she wasn't sure, and it was bad to jump to conclusions so she kept her silence about that. She decided to speak of something else instead. " _So, the blizzards aren't usually this bad?_ "

Khalya shook her head. " _No, it isn't. I'm not sure if we have just been lucky enough in the past to avoid this, or this is a sign of a bad omen._ "

" _I thought you didn't believe in omens, Khalya._ " Atahbah commented cynically from the nearby tent, bringing the guard's attention to her.

" _Not usually. But in these times, one tends to have their beliefs shattered regularly._ "

It was obvious what Khayla was speaking about, bringing the group of Khajiit to silence once again. With the return of the dragons, it had truly blurred the lines on peoples perception of myth and legend. It really made Ty'ani question what was real in this world anymore, especially considering what has happened to her since she first arrived in Skyrim.

However, just as another conversation was about to be brought up, that was when Ty'ani spotted something emerging through the storm. Zeroing her eyes upon it, she soon made out the form of a person running across the tundra. The moment the figure was close enough to the camp, it was revealed to be a Nord man, garbed in dirtied clothing. What caught her attention most of all though, was the frenzied look on his face and the haphazard movements of his body. It seemed as though the man had seen something truly horrible.

Suddenly concerned, Ty'ani rose from the ground as the man yelled out upon seeing them. "Help! Please, you must help!"

Immediately, Ty'ani ran over to him. When he saw her, a look of recognition and hope ignited in his expression as she spoke to him. "Woah, calm down. What's happened?" she asked him calmly, though inwardly dread began to circle her thoughts.

He took heavy breaths, panic still obviously stirring his system. "Oh thank goodness, Dragonborn. Please you must help." he told her. "It- it happened so fast. It destroyed my home. My wife... Oh Gods..."

Worry increasing, Ty'ani pressed. "What? What did?"

"A dragon." he simply replied.

Ty'ani's eyes widened in shock. A dragon was here? Hearing the gasps of the Khajiit behind her, she briefly felt dread fill the entirety of her chest. If a dragon was nearby, then that meant that she had to stop it before it attempted to attack the city. But she would be on her own, and she has _never_ taken on a dragon alone before. She knew though that she had to, at the very least, keep it distracted until reinforcements arrived. To that end, she gave the man a determined look.

"Listen to me." she told him in a firm tone, instantly gaining his attention. "Get inside the city and inform the town guard, tell them where they can find the dragon and then get yourself somewhere safe."

After he nodded and ran to do as he was told, Ri'saad snapped to his feet as Ty'ani drew her bow from her back. " _Wait, Ty'ani! You cannot go out there and face that beast alone!_ "

Glancing back at him, her eyes filled with both determination and fear, Ty'ani shook her head. " _I have to Ri'saad, no matter how dangerous it is. Do not try to follow me, the last thing I want is for any of you to be put in danger._ " that was the last thing she said to them as she pivoted around and ran into the storm, ignoring the Khajiit's pleads for her to come back. She ran across the tundra in the direction the Nord man emerged from, keeping her eyes peeled for any glimpses of a dragon and her ears open for their distinct roar.

Even though the winds were strong and impared her vision, it didn't take her all that long to find the destroyed home the Nord had mentioned. She knew that this place was a little ways from the Western Watchtower, therefore she sighed in relief when she spotted three guards already here. She immediately ran over to them.

"Guardsmen!" she yelled out over the storm, instantly gaining their attention. The nearest guard, upon seeing her, let out a sound of relief.

"Dragonborn, thank the Divines!" he said as she stopped in front of him before he began scanning the skies again. "Be wary of yourself, the beast is still nearby."

Acknowledging his statement, Ty'ani glanced around, noting the carnage of the site. The home was in ruins, the walls completely shattered and the roof collapsed in, as though something had crashed directly through it. It seemed only the frame had survived, making the house a shell of its former self. She also spotted the corpses of a guardsmen as well as the mangled body of a woman. She was too torn apart for Ty'ani to distinguish what race she was, but it was clearly the Nord man's wife. It was very obvious that the dragon was still nearby due to how fresh the bodies were.

Then, as if on cue, the bone chilling sound of a roar echoed through the blizzard. Ty'ani and the remaining three guards rose their weapons, the majority knocking their bows as they frantically studied all sides and the sky. On her part, Ty'ani kept her arrow ready and pointing upwards as she perked her ears up high, hearing only the howling winds for a time. However, that didn't last long as another roar resounded through the air, followed by the beating of wings.

The guards and Ty'ani all snapped toward the source, but the Khajiit girl's eyes widened when she just managed to make out the outline of the dragon flying through the air, the wall of snow blanketing it as it soon disappeared again. It was clear that some of the guards were panicking, but they held their ground as they continued to look around, constantly hearing the clap of the beasts wings at every interval.

Soon enough though, the dragon suddenly burst through the storm and bore down on the group below. Seeing the dragon, Ty'ani felt her chest turn cold in fear, her eyes widening as she instinctively ducked down as the dragon flew overhead.

As it banked around, Ty'ani took that moment to briefly study it. The first thing she noticed was that it was incredibly different to the dragons she had faced before, as this one possessed shimmering blue scales instead of the usual brown. It also possessed a significant increase of spines down it's back as well. Hopefully, this didn't mean that it would be harder to kill.

Ty'ani drew back her bow with a broadhead steel arrow, two of the guards following suite while the last hefted his sword as the blue drake turned on them and pitched downward. As it came close, Ty'ani released her arrow, knowing the projectile struck true when lightning criss-crossed it's form. The guards followed her example, but only one managed to hit its mark while the other missed.

The dragon roared in pain at this as it banked around, flying directly at them again which made the group dive out the way. However, it pitched back up again, beginning to circle overhead.

Ty'ani frowned at this. Was it _toying_ with them? If that was the case then it must find their caution amusing, as it banked down again, nose-diving at them before it suddenly opened it's wings and flapped down. It climbed back up in the sky as the resulting air-blast nearly sent the company to the floor, kicking up snow and ice in its wake.

Growling at this, Ty'ani waited until the dragon drew close again, before she inhaled a deep breath. " _Fus RO_!" she Shouted, sending the Unrelenting Force Shout into the air. It was a successful hit, as the shock wave struck the beast directly in the chest, which threw it off it's intended course. It was obvious that Ty'ani's Voice wasn't powerful enough to knock the dragon out of the air, but at least now it seemed to have encouraged the beast to cease toying with them.

The dragon bank round again and then commenced to lash out at the group as they fired upon it, occationally using both claw and teeth to grab them. Fortunately, Ty'ani and the guards had managed to avoid it's swipes as they spread themselves out, but it was clear that fatigue soon began to catch up with them the longer this went on. By that time though, the moment they were waiting for came. It was clear that the dragon had become infuriated that they continued to be illusive, and therefore allowed it's pride to get the better of it.

It flew off through the screen of snow to gain distance from them, turning sharply in the air and unfurling it's wings completely. The ground shook as it landed not too far from them, bellowing in a challenge as it lumbered toward them. The guards and Ty'ani held their ground, waiting for it to get nearer.

As it broke past the storm again, the dragon arched it's long neck backward, roaring as it let loose a ball of _ice_ at them. Ty'ani's eyes widened in shock at this for a split second, before she yelled out to the guards to move. The four instantly dove for whatever cover they could find or ran out of the line of fire, allowing the ball of ice to hurtle past them and explode on the half destroyed house, sending shards of the crystallised water in all directions.

By Gods, this was an ice dragon. That meant that half the enchantment on Ty'ani's bow would not work on it, which will make it harder to kill.

Turing back to the beast, she witnessed the guards let out a chorus of war cries, charging and surrounding the creature, swinging at it with their weapons. The strikes were true as the dragon's flanks were split open by the swords, prompting it to bring it's attention upon the guards, roaring angrily. The Khajiit grabbed another arrow and nocked it, intending to support the guards from a distance.

A guard slashed at the dragon's lower jaw, splitting open the skin between it's scales. It went to snap at him, but another guard distracted it by striking at it's underside, the sword penetrating deep into the soft underbelly which flooded the guard's armour with blood when he pulled it out. The third attempted to disable it's wings by ripping the membrane, however he was swiped aside by the appendage as the dragon swung it's head back. One swipe caught the guard to it's right, knocking him aside with no effort before it rose up, readying another Shout.

With a roar, it released another ball of ice toward Ty'ani. Upon her seeing it, she attempted to move out the way so she wouldn't be hit directly. Unfortunately though, the ball exploded upon the ground close to her, the force of the blast throwing the Khajiit off her feet. As she was tossed a few feet, she didn't have any clue which way was up or down as she tumbled with a shriek, before she rolled harshly across the snow. The white substance clung to her fur as the Khajiit recovered, groaning as she felt her flesh sting as some areas was split open from the shards of ice. Fighting against the pain, she tried with all her might to get back on her feet, gripping her bow in a tight fist.

By the time she got to her hand and knees, she glanced up when she heard one of the guards cry out. Her sapphire eyes widened in horror when she saw that the man was snapped up in the creature's jaws, before it chomped down and ceased all movement. She could hardly watch as the guards torso fell limply down to the ground, while his legs disappeared down the dragon's throat, all the while a river of blood cascaded down the beast's maw.

However, just as it was about to attack another guard, that was when an arrow suddenly punched into it's eye, causing it to recoil back and shriek in pain. Surprised, Ty'ani glanced over when she heard a yell. "Have at us, you giant lizard!"

The forms of Altwen, Alasse, Lydia and Haema, as well as six more Whiterun guards and four of the Companions burst through the storm, each charging the dragon with their weapons raised. Their arrival sparked new life into the Khajiit as she scrambled to her feet, pulling out and notching an arrow in an instant, beginning to fire upon the dragon again. Alasse fired lightning bolts as Altwen and Aela fired arrows at the drake in rapid volleys, whittling down it's defences as the warriors approached.

The guards surrounded the dragon once close enough, a couple sending a relentless hail of arrows at it as the others, with Haema at the front, charged. Knowing that it was surrounded, the dragon roared as Farkas approached, swinging it's head at him to knock him away. It's snout rammed into the man's chest, sending him flying a few feet. Thankfully, his armour spared him from grevious injury. Before it could take advantage however, Lydia slashed her sword at it's jaw while Ria slashed hers vertically down it's serpentine neck.

The dragon recoiled, snarling as numerous arrows penetrated through it's hide. Farkas soon recovered and attempted to get round to the beast's side, Athis at his side to support him, but the drake saw and tried to bite at him. However, it was knocked away by a powerful blow delivered by Haema, her battle axe leaving behind a sizable slash across it's muzzle. Knowing that it couldn't deal with all the mortals conventionally, the dragon rose it's head and sent forth a haphazard blast of ice their way. It missed, but it was enough to force the warriors back, of which it took full advantage off by spreading it's wings and taking flight once again.

As it took to the skies, Haema yelled out over the storm. "Get that dragon back down!" to which every person that had the means to, fired upon it with everything they had. Lightning bolts, firebolts and arrows, all was sent hurtling at the beast as it flew overhead, with most missing as it let loose another blast of ice in passing. The whole company split up immediately, successfully avoiding the attack.

As it flew over, the ice dragon was yet again knocked off course by an Unrelenting Force Shout, courtesy of Ty'ani. In response, the the dragon flew past all the other mortals, setting it's sights on the white Khajiit; the _Dovahkiin_. As it dove toward the girl, it ignored the arrows and spells pelting it's hide, not changing it's course at all despite how many arrows the girl herself shot at it.

Seeing that it wasn't changing course, Ty'ani attempted to roll out the way, but she misjudged the distance as the dragon's claw surrounded her. She shrieked as it clamped around her torso, climbing back up into the air with her in tow. As it continued to climb, Ty'ani struggling in it's grasp until she snapped for the short sword at her hip, now glad she decided to bring with her. Tugging it out of it's sheath, the Khajiit didn't hesitate to stab the Skyforge steel blade into the dragon's foot.

In response, the dragon released an audible roar of pain, but it didn't let go of her. In fact, it seemed to clamp down on her harder, which made Ty'ani's bones grind together painfully. Despite the amount of pain she was now in, the Khajiit was unwilling to give up as she gripped the sword in both hands, pulling it out of the foot before stabbing back in over and over again.

The amount of pain that flared up from the dragon's leg must have obviously caught up with it, as she suddenly felt the world tilt and the air whistling through her ears. The dragon shrieked as it began to fall to the ground, and she tucked herself into a tight a ball as she could as they descended rapidly.

They fell for what felt like hours but luckily, the dragon landed directly on it's back but the impact still jarred the girl harshly as they skidded across the tundra. Finally though, after what felt like an age, the dragon came to a stop and she opened her eyes, seeing the damage the creature caused when it crashed. She breathed heavily as she appraised herself, relieved when she realised she was alright- a little bruised and cut up but no worse for wear. However, she had noticed that her bodice had been torn by the dragon's claws, just barely deep enough to punch through, but not so much that she ended up skewered, which she was grateful for. But her armour was completely ruined.

She was snapped from her musings as she felt the grip around her loosen, giving the girl the opportunity to get out of the dragon's hold. Immediately after that, Ty'ani never gave the dragon a chance to get it's barings as she scrambled onto it's chest while unsheathing her dagger. Wasting no time, she stabbed the smaller weapon through the protective carapace of it's chest, hopefully where it's heart was, the ebony blade sinking easily through the natural armour like it was mere flesh.

However the dragon didn't move, not even a flinch. Glancing up, she found that the dragon's eyes were closed and there was a distinct absence of rumbling breath. This instantly told her that the impact of the fall must have killed it. Or at the very least, her dagger finished it off. She suddenly felt extremely lucky to be alive, since they must have fell from such a great height for it to kill a dragon. Nocturnal must truly be watching over her.

Just as she withdrew her dagger though, that was when the dragon's corpse began to disintegrate. Knowing that she couldn't escape, Ty'ani closed her eyes and waited for the soul to enter her. The golden lights soon surrounded her form, entering her mind within moments, making her go rigid against the feeling. She grimaced as the soul slowly retreated into her sub-conscience, letting out a short gasp when it ended. She slumped forward, inhaling and exhaling breath like they were her last.

The absorbtion of a dragon soul is an incredibly uncomfortable feeling, and not one she was about to get used to any time soon.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, that was when she noticed the absence of the howling winds. Glancing up, it didn't take her long to notice that the storm had reduced greatly. It was still blustery, but the storm had completely disappeared. She blinked in surprise at this. How did the storm calm so quickly? It only took her a second to work out that the storm must have passed upon the dragon's death, which meant that it was the dragon that was influencing the storm. By Gods, no wonder the blizzard was so bad. It just made her wonder how powerful a dragon's magic is if they can mold nature itself to their will.

However, just as she came to that conclusion, that was when she realised that she had no idea where she was. Looking around, all she could see was the rolling white plains of the tundra, the frozen rivers and rock formations. There was no sign of Whiterun and ultimately, no sign of the guards or her companions. In fact, there was no trace of anything man-made at all, she was completely alone.

She shivered at this thought, and from the still chilly winds. As she had no idea where she was, she didn't know how to get back to the city at all. She couldn't just pick a random direction and hope for the best, as the distant fog thoroughly hid the horizon so she couldn't see the Throat of the World, or any of the other mountain peaks. The snow could potentially pick up again at any moment, so she needed to find somewhere to bunker down until it stops snowing. Or if someone found her, which looked unlikely.

With that in mind, she clambered away from the dragon bones and began to trek across the plains in hope of finding shelter.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

The snow had picked up again by the time Ty'ani found something. It wasn't the most ideal shelter, since it was an outcropping of rock that overshadowed an incline in the dirt, but an abandoned camp site was at the bottom of it, completely untouched by the snow. Ty'ani sighed in relief of this, as she saw- to her luck- that the firepit had some wood already placed, ready to be lit. It seemed whoever was here had to leave in a hurry, since there was a layed out bedroll next to the firepit as well. Not knowing if the owners were still nearby or not, the Khajiit wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth as she immediately clambered down into the crevice.

She shivered violently as she made it down, rubbing her arms in a bid to warm herself up, moaning when the pain from her cuts and bruises began to make themselves known. She needed to get warm now, so she glanced around hoping to find something to help her light the fire.

Thankfully, she found a couple of stones that looked rough enough to create a spark. She snatched them up and began scraping them together furiously, hoping they will begin sparking. It took a few tries but the stones began sparking, so Ty'ani immediately hovered them above the wood and attempted to get it to catch fire.

After what felt like a life time- and when she was close to giving up since she was shaking so much- the wood finally caught alight. Ty'ani mentally rejoiced at this, gently blowing on the tiny embers to make them spread. Before long, she had a healthy burning fire and the Khajiit sighed in relief for the warmth it brought. She stayed knelt before the flames, hovering her hands over it as she began to warm up.

When she felt warm enough, Ty'ani collapsed down onto her rear and brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms and tail around them as she stared into the flames. She sighed despondently, hoping that she'll survive until the snow stopped. She wasn't really looking forward to taking her chances out there, since she had lost her bow when the dragon grabbed her before.

However, she soon felt her eyes getting heavy, the fatigue from the fight and the journey here finally catching up with her. She figured that since she was relatively safe, she could bury herself into the bedroll and close her eyes for a little while.

With that in mind, she stripped off her ruined bodice, since it was pratically useless now, and wriggled into the bedroll. She draped her cloak over top as she turned onto her side, pillowing her head with her arm as she closed her eyes.

However, after what felt like only a few minutes- whilst in reality it was nearly an hour- Ty'ani's ears pricked up when they picked up an out of place noise. Eyes popping open, she snapped up to her hands and knees, suddenly on alert. There was something- or someone- nearby.

Grabbing her cloak and wrapping it over her shoulders, Ty'ani unsheathed her short sword as she rose to her feet. She kept her eyes on the entrance of the alcove, searching for a silhouette of a person or animal against the still falling snow. Thankfully it seemed the fall had lessened during the time she slept, so she cautiously crept up the incline, her weapon poised and ready.

Once she was outside the safety of the crevice, Ty'ani yet again felt the full force of the cold as it hit her warmed body. She muffled her gasp, focusing herself to endure it as she glanced around. The Khajiit didn't see anything immediate but she didn't relax, she knew she heard something and she couldn't rest until she dealt with whatever it was.

As she stepped further away from her shelter, that was when the ringing of metal echoed through the air. Now definitely on edge, Ty'ani whipped around with her sword raised, seeing the forms of three people approaching her. They were all clearly clad in armour, since she could pick up the clanging of the suits with every movement they made, and they each held a drawn sword.

Knowing that these people meant harm toward her, Ty'ani dropped into a combat stance just like she was taught, keeping her own sword raised as the group approached.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want?"

The three split up then, surrounding her at all sides as they were slowly revealed to the Khajiit. All three of the men turned out to be Altmer, each clad head to toe in fancy golden armour, padded with an inlay of fur to ward off the chill. They each had a sigil on the breast of their armour, one that Ty'ani couldn't make out from this distance. Even still, she felt a spark of dread run down her spine as the one in the centre answered her.

"What we want, Khajiit," he began, his haunty voice dark. "Is your life."

She barely had time to widen her eyes in shock before the high-elf on her right suddenly attacked. She darted back while blocking his strike, hoping to gain some distance. However her attacker continued with another flurry of attacks, to which she barely managed to block. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that the other two didn't seem to be attempting to attack her, merely moving around her to keep her from escaping.

Ty'ani's mind began racing as she ducked under an overhead swing. Who were these people? Why did they want to kill her? How did they even find her in the first place? All this ran through her mind, which nearly rewarded her with a cut across her arm. Berating herself to not get distracted, Ty'ani tried with all her might to keep up with the Altmer attacking her, not wanting to let him through her defence. It quickly became apparent that fighting someone for real was much different than training, as the threat of life or death hanging over her head very nearly brought her to the edge of panicking. To that end, she continued to stay on the defensive, frantically seaching for an opening she could take advantage of.

Unfortunately though, he soon proved to be the superior fighter as he knocked her sword away before slashing her across her unprotected belly. She screamed in pain, instantly landing her hand on the affected area to stem the bleeding. Thankfully it wasn't too deep, but it was mind-numbingly painful as she fell to her knees, her sword falling noiselessly into the snow.

The Khajiit gulped down breath greedily, gritting her teeth against the burn as she sensed her attackers drawing closer. She rose her head up, seeing the Altmer that spoke to her standing over her as he stared into her eyes, clear disappointment in his.

"I have to say," he started after a moment of watching her. "I am incredibly disappointed. I had hoped that you would be a challenge, given the reports about you. But no matter. Now it is time to end this."

He rose his sword in the air, poised to run her through. Ty'ani wanted to try to run away, grab her sword and block the blow, _anything_ that could get her out of here but she was paralysed and by the time she moved, she would already be dead. But she was unwilling to give up, she couldn't. She may not be able to move, but that didn't mean she couldn't talk. With that in mind, she didn't hesitate.

" _Fus RO_!"

The shock wave escaped her and slammed directly into the Altmer's chest. Unprepared, the high-elf was pushed away, landing upon his back unceremoniously. Ty'ani knew that wouldn't keep them from killing her, but at least it delayed it long enough for her to snap herself over to where her sword fell. At least then, if she was going to die she would die fighting.

The Khajiit girl rummaged around in the freezing snow, searching desperately for her sword as the other two high-elves charged at her. Her heart raced as she searched until at last, her finger wrapped around the pommel of her weapon. She immediately yanked it out of the snow and braced herself for the worst.

However, what met her eyes when she looked up thoroughly surprised her. All three of the Altmer were still there, but they were all frozen in place with a green glow encompassing them. The one she Shouted at was sitting up half way, while the other two were locked in a running position. The only thing that showed that they were still alive and not statues were their eyes, as they snapped this way and that in their sockets with shock within all of them.

However, before Ty'ani could analyse this sudden anomoly further, that was when the Altmer on the ground suddenly had his head decapitated. Ty'ani gasped in horror as the head rolled away with a spew of blood, painting the white snow red. The body was still kept in it's original position though, showcasing that it was thoroughly paralysed.

In the next second, a blur shot past Ty'ani and the Altmer to her left was soon left without a head as well. Again, the body stayed exactly where it was as the head rolled off, landing upon the snowy ground with a sickening sound. The Khajiit girl barely had time to look over and see it happen before the final Altmer was attacked. The only difference though was that instead of his head being removed, his neck split open with a flood of blood.

Horrified at what she was seeing, Ty'ani watched as the the green glow surrounding the bodies disappeared and the two headless corpses collapsed bonelessly. The last however went limp, but he didn't fall. It soon became apparent as to why as standing right behind him, with his jaws buried in the neck, was a hooded man.

Soon enough, the man released the body, allowing it to crumple at his feet. Immediately, Ty'ani saw that the man was clad in some sort of makeshift leather armour with a bandoleer over his chest, held together with twin belts- which had two long swords strapped to it. He also wore leather leggings, thick leather gauntlets and boots, with a black fur cloak over his shoulders and a hood over his head.

The hood gave her pause though, as she instantly saw a pair of horns sticking out the back of it. She blinked as she studied the man more, seeing that underneath the hood was a face she recognised. One that had his eyes closed in delight, with his scaly jaws parted as he licked blood off his fingers. The Khajiit instantly saw a pair of long and wicked looking fangs protruding from his mouth, both stained red. She watched with wide eyes as the Argonian- as it was obvious it was nothing else- rolled his tongue back into his mouth, his fangs retracting shortly after as he opened his eyes.

Ty'ani flinched when a golden eye and milky white one locked onto hers. She simply knelt there, her sword still raised, as she stared back. Meanwhile, Okan-Ru smirked at her, gesturing to her weapon casually. "You may relax now, the danger has passed."

Upon hearing his voice, only then did Ty'ani noticed the pain running through her system as the adrenaline vanished. She dropped her arm and doubled in on herself with a grunt, squeezing her eyes closed as she gritted her teeth. She pressed her hand harder against the slash on her navel, feeling blood continuing to pour from the wound.

In the next second, she sensed a body beside her and glanced up to see Okan-Ru kneeling by her side, offering a red bottle. "Here." he told her. "This will stop the bleeding."

Unwilling to question anything at the moment, Ty'ani took the bottle and drained its contents. The foul taste that hit her tonsils quickly informed her that it was a healing potion, grimacing as she forced herself to swallow it. Once the liquid was down her throat, she gasped as the potion got to work, instantly stemming the bleeding and dulling the pain slightly. It didn't fully heal the wound, but it was a start.

Now with nothing clouding her mind for a time, she glanced back up at Okan-Ru. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "How did you find me? Were you following me?"

Okan-Ru only gave her the briefest of smiles as he responded. "My dear, I will be more than happy to answer your questions, but perhaps it would be best if we focused on patching you up first, hmm?" without waiting for her answer, the dark Argonian wrapped one of his arms across her back and the other under her knees and effortlessly lifting her off the snowy ground. Ty'ani squeaked when he did that, but it was soon turned to a yelp when the movement aggrivated her wound.

Okan-Ru began to carry her back toward the little alcove she had been staying in, being careful not to jostile her as he slipped down the incline. Once at the bottom, he slowly lowered her down onto the bedroll next to the fire. She sighed in relief when she felt the warmth chasing away the cold in her body, opening her eyes to see what the Argonian assassin was up to.

She noticed that he had slipped off a backpack he was wearing and was rummaging through its contents, a focused look on his now exposed face. He must have taken his hood off when he place her down, showcasing his black and red face with the three scars running down his blind eye, and blood red feathers. After only a moment, the Argonian pulled out two items from his pack. A roll of bandages and a green unlabled bottle. Placing the gauze within easy reach, Okan-Ru looked into her eyes as he uncorked the bottle. Her nose wrinkled when a strong pepperminty smell was released into the air, almost making her eyes water.

"I would suggest finding something to bite down on." Okan-Ru told her, catching her full attention as he lifted the bottle up slightly. "This will help, but it will not be pleasant."

Unwilling to argue, Ty'ani looked around soon finding a solid looking stick near the firepit. She reached over and grabbed it with a grunt, instantly sticking it between her teeth and biting down. After that, she braced herself for what was to come.

Seeing that she was ready, Okan-Ru carefully untucked the girl's shirt from her leggings, slowly peeling it away from the wound and bunching it up under her bosom. Now with the wound exposed, he pushed her down fully onto her back and held her there, knowing that she would begin writhing soon. He then began to pour the liquid directly into her wound.

The second the substance splashed on her nerves, Ty'ani screamed, biting down hard on the stick between her teeth. She instinctively began wriggling, attempting to get away fom what was causing the pain but Okan-Ru held her down securely. He paid no mind to her screams as he continued to pour the liquid into the wound, not letting up until it was all covered. He let her go after that, letting her writhe for a moment as he recorked the bottle, placing it back into his pack.

The Argonian then prompted the Khajiit to sit up. "Calm yourself, the worst has passed now." he reassured her.

Grabbing the stick from her mouth, Ty'ani threw it away violently, panting heavily as Okan-Ru picked up the gauze of bandages and tore a strip off before cleaning the excess from her stomach- whilst cleaning away the blood at the same time. Throwing the soiled strip into the fire, he began to wrap the rest of the gauze securely around her stomach, safely covering the wound.

As he did so, Ty'ani looked at him with a hard expression. "What in Oblivion was that?" she yelled.

Okan-Ru grinned at her question, continuing with his task as he answered. "A little concoction that will keep your wound from becoming infected."

Ty'ani groaned at that, still feeling the burning liquid attacking her nerves. "Sure doesn't fell like it's helping. Its burning!"

"Then that means it is doing its job." Okan-Ru merely replied back with a smirk. Soon enough though, he finished wrapping the bandage and tied it off. "There, that is the most I can do for now but it will need to be sealed properly. So I would suggest finding a healer if you wish to not have another scar." he empathised that statement by glancing at the pink scar that rested below her right ribcage, the one that was left by Mercer Frey for what felt like a lifetime ago.

"That dosen't really matter." Ty'ani told him as she forced herself to it up straight, hissing as she did so.

Once she was situated, Okan-Ru smiled again. "Tell me, dear lady, are you going to make a habit of the two of us meeting in a shower of blood? Should I be concerned?" the Khajiit didn't answer him, only giving him a glare as he let out a chuckle.

Sighing, the Khajiit dodged the question by asking her own. "Would you mind answering my questions now?"

"Of course." the Argonian agreed with a nod of his head.

Having the go ahead, Ty'ani began. "Who were those men? Why did they attack me, do you know?"

"Yes I do. They were Thalmor soldiers." Ty'ani's eyes widened upon hearing that, her inside twisting as Okan-Ru explain further. "I know not the reason why they attacked you however. All I know is that you have been a target of their's for what I believe is a very long time. I intercepted a letter sent to the Embassy detailing about your evasion of the mercenaries they sent after you, and the request to send their own soldiers to kill you. They had been tracking you since Ivarstead, as that old man I killed was an informant of their's, hence why I had a contract on him."

It was here he paused, allowing the information to sink in. On her part, Ty'ani's mind was a whirl, the news of the Thalmor hunting her was truly troubling. For the life of her though, she couldn't think of a reason why the Thalmor is after her blood. She's never done anything to distrupt their operations, being sure to stay as far from the Dominion as she could possibly be. Even still, Thalmor soldiers were incredibly deadly and she was now glad that Okan-Ru appeared when he did.

But then that begged another question, as she gazed into his eyes again. "How did you find me?"

To this, the Argonian let slip a smile, tapping the side of his nose as he answered. "Trade secret." he merely responded, clearly having no intention of elaborating. Ty'ani didn't know why, but she felt a shiver run down her spine at that. All of a sudden, she really _didn't_ want to know how he found her. It was then he continued. "Needless to say, upon discovering their intentions, I immeadiately made haste to find you. They were the reason I have been keeping an eye on you for the past few weeks now. I must say that I am impressed that you kept your guard up for so long, you clever girl. Paranoid, but clever."

Ty'ani blinked at this. "Wait. You mean to tell me _you_ were watching me the entire time?"

"But of course." he responded honestly. "It was all in an effort to ensure the Thalmor would not reach you first."

"But how?" Ty'ani inquired. "I never saw you, not even a glimpse."

Okan-Ru shook his head at that, giving her a look like she was an uneducated child. "I am an assassin and a vampire, Ty'ani, it is my job to hide in plain sight. I can remain unseen for an extended amount time if I so wish."

"That doesn't make me feel better." the Khajiit stated, frowning at the Argonian like he was insane.

"Well then, if you did not want my help then maybe I _should_ have let those Thalmor kill you." he responded none too kindly, though his expression was blank as he spoke.

That immediately silenced the Khajiit girl, knowing for a fact that if he wasn't watching over her, then she would have fallen to the Thalmor and she would currently be bleeding out on the snow outside. Or already rotting away. She hated to admit it, but she was grateful that he was there when she needed help. "I'm sorry." she apologised. "You're right; without your help I would be dead now, so... thank you."

"It was my pleasure." he replied with a gentle smile, but before long his expression turned serious. "But know that this will not be the end of it. The Thalmor will send more agents after you once they discover this failure, either with greater numbers or more powerful fighters. They will outclass you greatly, even with your companions covering you."

Worry instantly gripped the girl's mind. "What should I do?" she asked.

"The answer is simple." the Argonian remarked, leveling the Khajiit with a long look. "Allow me to accompany you. That way, you have no fear of them taking you by surprise. I'm certain even you can see the benefits of having a vampire within your entourage."

Ty'ani had been surprised many times in her life, but this one most definitely tops all of those previous situations. A vampire travelling with her? Gods, she could barely think about what the others would make of this, they'd think that she'd lost her mind. Frankly, she wasn't even sure if she should be replused by the idea or relieved by it.

"If I allow you," she began after a moment of contenplative silence. "What should I tell my companions? They will be suspicious of you."

"That I will leave up to you." he told her. "Tell them the truth or lie, I care not."

She frowned at this. Ty'ani really hated having to make decisions like this, since there weren't many favourable things for either one of those choices. If she lies and the truth got out, she would lose her companion's trust all over again and they may try to kill Okan-Ru as a result. But if she tells the truth straight away, then her companions would think that she had lost her mind and then try to kill the Argonian. Whatever decision she made would no doubt end up with somebody getting hurt, which was the last thing she wanted.

Sighing, the Khajiit glanced back up at the Argonian, regarding him with a pointed look. "Why though?" she blurted out. "Why would you go through so much trouble just to keep me safe? You don't even know me on a personal level, nor I you."

Okan-Ru's face remianed blank, but he did avert his eyes as he answered. "You could say that I once made a promise a very long time ago, one that I have every intention of keeping."

"What do you mean?" she asked, cocking a confused brow.

The Argonian assassin met her gaze again, giving her a smile. "That is for me alone to know. So if I was you, I wouldn't even attempt to pry."

Ty'ani sighed yet again, quickly figuring out that was all she was going to get out of him. She glanced down to her lap, idly watching her own fingers fiddle with the stitching on her leggings while Okan-Ru glanced out the exit. Seeing that the snow was letting up, he looked back at her. "I would suggest that we get moving back to Whiterun now."

Tearing her gaze away from her lap, Ty'ani met Okan-Ru's eyes as he collected his pack and stood from the floor. Feeling apprehensive about what he suggested, the girl bit her lip. "Are you sure? Do you know your way back?"

"Of course I do." he replied, offering her a hand to help her to her feet, seeing her wince and hold her stomach in pain as he pulled her up. "This is not the first time I have been to this part of the tundra. And if you're concerned about the distance, I would not worry about that either."

Once she was on her feet and the pain had passed, Ty'ani blinked at the Argonian as he snuffed the fire and climbed out of the crevice. "You have a horse?" she asked as she gathered her short sword and sheathed it before following him, but she decided to leave her bodice behind. There was no saving it as it was so torn up anyway. She made sure to wrap herself thoroughly in her cloak as she exited the crevice.

"Of a sort." Okan-Ru informed her as he folded his hood back over his head. He then looked away from her, raising his right hand as it became encompassed with a purple aura. He charged it briefly before thrusting his hand out. Within half a second, a large swirling portal appeared before the two, making the air vibrate with magic. As Ty'ani watched, she saw something emerge through the apparition and when the magic dissolved, her jaw dropped when she saw what was in its place.

It was a tall, pure black horse. It appeared to be of a similar build as the horses back in Cyrodill, having being much thinner than it's Skyrim counterparts, but that meant it was much faster. The horse had a plain saddle and harness already strapped upon it, having no distinguishing markings or patterns on it to showcase affiliation or nobility. However, the one thing that drew Ty'ani's attention most of all was the horse's eyes. The orbs were a pair of glowing _red_ eyes, set perfectly either side of the horse's snout and it seemed to be boring directly into Ty'ani's soul, even though the horse wasn't looking at her.

She took a step back as the horse trotted over to stand in front of Okan-Ru- the Khajiit noticing tiny clouds of black shadow forming with every step the horse took- bucking it's head as it whinnied softly. He in turn gently stroked the horse's ebony mane before turning to face Ty'ani. "Meet Shadowmere." he told her. "One of the more ancient shadow horses of the Void. And she has been my friend for many generations."

The mare then just happened to glance over at Ty'ani, and the Khajiit swore she saw the horse tilt her head slightly, as though in curiosity. But surely that couldn't be, it was just her imagination, right?

Swallowing nervously, she glanced back at Okan-Ru. "You mean, she's not a real horse?"

The horse seemed to huff after she asked that, almost as if it didn't like what Ty'ani said. Okan-Ru however, merely smiled. "She is as real as you and I. It is just that she is slightly more special than your adverage horse. So, shall we?" he offered her his hand, obviously to help her get up on Shadowere's back. Ty'ani sighed, allowing the Argonian to lift her into the saddle before he climbed up behind her. Shadowmere seemed to whinny in annoyance at this, as she stomped impatiently on the spot while Okan-Ru got situated.

"Now now, Shadowmere," he scolded the horse, patting her on the neck. "Be nice. You do not want to terrify the poor girl now, do you?"

Ty'ani frowned in confusion when he spoke to Shadowmere like that, as though the black horse were a person. But Shadowmere seemed to huff again before becoming still. For some reason that truly unnerved Ty'ani greatly.

Soon enough, Okan-Ru lightly snapped the reigns, prompting Shadowmere into a trot in a seemingly random direction. Ty'ani leant back a little against the Argonian's chest, trusting that he knew where he was going as the horse soon sped up into a canter across the tundra.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

As time went on, Ty'ani began to slowly recognise some landmarks as Okan-Ru guided Shadowmere along. She wasn't sure if they had found a road or not, since the snow blanketed the whole of the area in a seemingly even coat, but at least now she was reassured that they were heading in the right direction.

For the majority of the journey, neither she nor Okan-Ru said a word to each other, unless it pertained to the intended destination, or the Argonian spoke to Shadowmere. In all honestly though, while Ty'ani was usually alright with long periods of quiet, this time she had something that had been on her mind since they left the crevice, and it was bugging her immensely.

Biting her lip, Ty'ani inhaled deeply before she broke the silence. "Okan-Ru?"

Not at all surprised that she spoke up after so long, the Argonian assassin merely responded with a hum of acknowledgement. That prompted Ty'ani to speak up again. "Back there, when you killed those Thalmor, I didn't even see you do it. How did you do that? I've never seen anyone move that fast before."

Okan-Ru chuckled. "Ah, well you see my dear, it is a trick that vampires of my breed have been mastering for centuries. The truth is, I was moving at my normal speed, but your mortal perception is far too slow to comprehend my movements until they have already happened. Therefore, I appear to be going significantly faster to you."

Ty'ani blinked upon hearing this information. "So," she began slowly. "It was one of your vampire abilities?"

"Precisely." Okan-Ru confirmed. "Unfortunately, due to it not being a normal form of magic, it does not drain upon my magicka as most spells would. Rather, all of my vampiric abilities use my blood pool to fuel its magic."

"Your blood pool?" the Khajiit inquired uneasily.

"That's right." he responded with a nod. "Vampires cannot produce fresh blood like a mortal. While vampires are immortal, it does not mean that immortality doesn't come with a price. As such, we vampires have to feed upon the blood of mortals so that we may survive longer in the sun or have the means to use our abilities, among other things."

Biting her lip, Ty'ani briefly berated herself for what she was about to ask next, but her curiosity got the better of her. "And... what happens when you run out of blood?"

Okan-Ru was silent for a while after that, so much so that Ty'ani turned to look into his eyes. He darted his eyes up to meet hers, seeming to sigh as he responded. "Something that I have seen happen far too many times. When our blood pool runs dry, we become feral. No better than a starved animal, slowly turning to insanity as we hear the heartbeats of mortals everywhere. No matter the age of the vampire, be they a child or an ancient, that is when vampires become savage killers. It is a fate worse than death."

Ty'ani felt her blood run cold. What was just explained really hit home for her, truly confirming that vampirism was a curse. She could never imagine living with the knowledge that she could turn into a monster if she didn't feed, solidifying her decision to never allow herself to turn into a vampire if she could help it.

Silence fell between the two again after that, the only sounds were the distant winds and Shadowmere's occational snorts. Soon enough though, Okan-Ru spoke up again, his voice devoid of the dead tone he used earlier. "It is rather unfair, my dear." when Ty'ani pivoted her head around to stare at him in confusion, only then did he elaborate. "You asked me so many questions about my abilities, I think it only fair if I should do the same. Therefore, would you care telling me where exactly you learned how to Shout?"

The Khajiit girl blinked at the Argonian man, a little put out that he asked that question totally out of the blue. Clearing her throat as she turned her gaze back to the area ahead of them, she tentatively responded. "Erm... Well, to be honest with you, I learnt how not that long ago. Because well... I'm the Dragonborn..." it was here she trailed off, as though she was unsure about revealing this information to him.

On his part, Okan-Ru's horn laden brows rose. "Truly?" he asked, small aspects of surprise evident in his tone. "Well, you are just _full_ of surprises, aren't you?"

She merely shrugged. "It's not that big a deal."

"Isn't it?" he asked cynically.

Before she had the chance to speak again however, it was at that moment that a new noise echoed through the air. Ty'ani's ears perked up instantly, recognising the sound as a bark. Hope began to fill her as she glanced in the direction of the sound, mentally praying that it was what she thought it was. From through the fog, Ty'ani spotted the form of a small dog running directly toward them. As it came closer though, it soon became apparent that this was no ordinary dog.

Joy spread through Ty'ani's mind as she recognised the white furred form of her dire wolf, Ar'jenn. She called to Okan-Ru to stop Shadowmere, which he did instantly, watching as the girl slide off the mare's back- which made the horse huff in annoyance- and rush over to the approaching dire wolf.

"Ar'jenn!" she called out just as her young dire wolf jumped up at her, her tail wagging with pure happiness. On her part, Ty'ani grunted when the wolf jumped at her, gritting her teeth as her wound flared up again but tried to ignore it as she began stoking and hugging the wolf, hardly believing that she was even here. "By Gods, I can't believe it's you! How did you find me girl?"

"Hey, she's over here! We've found her!" came another voice, which prompted Ty'ani to glance up and to her surprise, spotted several figures on horses rushing toward her. Her eyes widened when the forms were revealed to be her companions. The one that yelled out was obviously Altwen, as the half-elf herself jumped off her horse and dashed ahead of the group, immediately wrapping Ty'ani in a grateful hug. "Bloody Oblivion Kitten, we thought we lost you!"

Ty'ani gasped when the huntress did that, her wound letting itself be known again as she wrapped her arms around the woman's slender waist just as the rest soon arrived, all with relieved expressions on their faces. Lydia was instantly at her side when Altwen released her, her green eyes checking the young girl over thoroughly as she spoke. "My Thane, are you hurt at all? Where is your amour?" she instantly spied her shirt, seeing the old blood stains and the fresh ones starting to soak through the white linen. Lydia's eyes widened at that. "By Gods. Alasse-"

"Lydia, it's okay, I'm fine." Ty'ani reassured, even as the mage dismounted her horse and rushed to the Khajiit's side. Upon seeing what was wrong, Alasse didn't hesitate on summoning her healing magic and casting it upon the girl. Ty'ani sighed when her wound healed fully, relieved that she was no longer in pain before she glanced over to where Okan-Ru was now standing next to Shadowmere. "He was the one who saved my life." she concluded.

Her companions looked over seemingly as one to where Okan-Ru stood, to which he gave them a single casual wave as he wondered over. As he got closer though, Ar'jenn immediately began growling at him, her lips folding back and her ears pressed tightly down on her skull. Seeing this, Ty'ani placed reassuring hands on the wolf's head, attempting to soothe her. "Ar'jenn, no. It's alright girl, he's friendly."

Ar'jenn didn't stop growling though, only continuing to glare up at Okan-Ru whilst he stared right back at her with no semblence of fear in his eyes.

However, just at that moment, Altwen suddenly began laughing, catching the attention of the group. "Ha, you've had all this time, and you still haven't gotten dogs to like you?"

Okan-Ru smirked at that as he turned his gaze away from Ar'jenn, looking upon Altwen as he laughed too. "Well, what can I say? I have never been a dog person."

Altwen began laughing boistrously after that, stepping around Ty'ani and instantly grabbing his already outstretched hand and shook it. She then wrapped her other arm around his neck, pulling him into a one-armed hug, which he returned by wrapping his free arm around her waist. "By Gods, it's good to see ya again, Okan-Ru!" Altwen exclaimed heartily with a wide smile, releasing the Argonian after a second, giving his shoulder a friendly slap.

Watching the exchange between the two, Haema arched a brow as she slid off Valiant, catching their attention as she stepped over to them. "I'm to assume that you two know each other then?" she asked as she crossed her arms.

Taking a step away from the Argonian, Altwen turned her grin to the tall Nord woman as she gave her a single nod. "That we do." she confirmed, but then turned her gaze to Ty'ani with a cocked brow. "Though what I'd like ta know is how _you_ know him, Kitten?"

To this, Ty'ani bit her lip anxiously. Judging from the hug that Altwen and Okan-Ru shared, it was obvious that they were old friends, which meant it was safe to assume that the half-elf knew about the assassin's vampiricy. The others however, she wasn't even sure what to say to them. She had been debating about what to say since she and Okan-Ru left the crevice, but she still had no idea. But now that she was put on the spot, she decided to say the first thing that came to mind and deal with the consequences later.

"I met him months ago," she told them. "A little while before I met all of you. He helped me out of a bad situation-"

"Of which you often get yourself into." Okan-Ru added, playing to her lie instantly. Truthfully, Ty'ani felt bad for lying, but at least it was hidden behind some semblences of truth. "I swear, me saving your hide is becoming habit now, my dear."

"What do you mean? What happened." Lydia demanded, her concern for her Thane clearly showing.

Beginning to chew on her lip now, Ty'ani wrung her hands together as she explained to her companions what happened when she and the dragon landed. All the way from finding the crevice, to the Thalmor attacking her to Okan-Ru saving her life. Of course she left certain details out, such as the methods in which Okan-Ru had killed the agents and so forth. By the time she was done, most of her friends looked absolutely livid.

"I cannot believe it." Haema said upon Ty'ani finishing her tale, a deep scowl present on her face. "Why would the Thalmor just attack you like that?"

"It is because they are targeting her." Okan-Ru elaborated, which brought the women's attention to him. "But I do not know why."

"Gods." Alasse sighed, turning away as she massaged her forehead. "As if we do not have enough problems."

"I would not worry yourselves too much." the Argonian informed them. "I have been tracking the Dominion's movements for a while now, therefore I have been able to keep one step ahead of them. As such, I have already extended a request to Ty'ani to allow me to travel with you, to keep her protected."

Most of the group didn't bat an eye at his words, but Lydia glared at him with suspicion. "Why? What do you get out of doing that?" she demanded, crossing her arms as she spoke.

The Argonian man turned his gaze to the brunette Housecarl, cocking an unamused brow at her bluntness. "The satisfaction that she will remain safe. What does it matter, so long as the Thalmor do not get their hands on her." it was then that he inclined his head toward Altwen, lowering his voice as he spoke to her but it was still loud enough for them all to hear. "I cannot believe you travel with such suspicious people."

"You get used to it after a while." Altwen merely shrugged. "I do consider them good acquaintances after all."

Okan-Ru smirked at her then, pointing a finger in her direction. "Not like you to keep pets, darling."

"I beg your pardon?" Alasse snapped as Altwen laugh loudly. Lydia on the other hand slapped her palm on her forehead.

"Oh Gods, now there's two of them." she mumbled.

Haema just rolled her eyes irritably, sighing as she did so. "Enough." she told them firmly, bringing her ice blue eyes to the dark Argonian. "Now listen, if you are truly adiment about joining us, then that is fine by me. But know that you must pull your own weight, as we cannot be forced to drag you along should you become a burden."

"Oh, believe me," Okan-Ru assured, giving the blonde Nord a toothy grin. "That will not be a problem."

Ty'ani- who had been ensuring Ar'jenn would behave during the conversation- glanced between the bodies around her. She wasn't sure if Okan-Ru joining the group would turn out well or not, but one thing was for certain; things were about to take a dramatic turn. Whether it was for the worst or not, only the coming weeks could tell.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

 _Apparently, yes I do still have my muse... yay!_

 _Anyway, if your all confused as to where the battle with the dragon takes place, anyone who's played Skyrim probably knows about that old abandoned house not that far from the Western Watchtower, right? The one where you find a chest under the floorboards? Well, I thought to give it a proper back story rather than just have it as a husk sitting on the side of the road like it is in the game. So there you go, that right there is how the house got destroyed._

 _Oh, and hey, looks like Okan-Ru is actually going to be sticking around this time! Bloody slippery assassin always running off when the plot begins to thicken. At least now I've got a tight reign on him, so he's not going anywhere for a while, lol._

 _And also, to answer Warden of Lore's review: If I kill off Altwen, then who will you get mad at? You need_ someone _to mentally slap around, don't ya? Haha_

 _ **Edit:** I added some crucial details I thought was missing between Ty'ani and Okan-Ru meeting to the end of the chapter. They might be fairly obvious to spot._


End file.
